[Nitori's First] Co-developed Educational Materials with Benesse! Distribution Starts to 10,200 Elementary/Junior High Schools Nationwide on April 1 (Wed)
Nitori and Benesse co-developed an inquiry-based learning material on resource circulation based on furniture disposal. It is distributed nationwide via 'Mirai Seed' starting April 1.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 16:35
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 20:41 (148h 6m after Collected)
Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Sapporo; Representative Director, Chairman and President: Akio Nitori; hereinafter "Nitori") has jointly developed an inquiry-based learning material titled "Thinking about the Mechanism of Resource Circulation ~Ingenuity of Circulation Learned from Companies~" based on the elementary school social studies topic "Where Does Garbage Go" in collaboration with Benesse Corporation (Headquarters: Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture; Representative Director, Chairman and President: Daisuke Iwase; hereinafter "Benesse"). This material has been distributed via Benesse's ICT learning software for elementary and junior high schools, "Mirai Seed," starting Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
[Download Page] https://bso.benesse.ne.jp/miraiseed/fansite/kigyou_collabo/index.html
The Nitori Group has established the "NITORI Group Green Vision 2050" as its environmental goal toward 2050. Among its initiatives, "Promoting Circular Business" is one of the key pillars. In order to reduce waste and use limited resources carefully, we are engaged in product creation and service provision with a view from the "manufacturing" stage to the "after-use" stage.
We want children, who are also our future customers, to know about Nitori's initiatives and to think together about the future. Based on this desire, the collaboration with Benesse and the joint development of the educational material under the supervision of Mr. Mitsuru Nakata, a teacher at Sapporo Municipal Yamahana Elementary School, were realized.
Through this material, we aim to provide an opportunity for students to learn about Nitori's thoughts and ingenuity in reducing garbage and cherishing resources, and to think and take action on what each individual can do for the future.
The developed material has begun distribution on Benesse's ICT learning software for elementary and junior high school students, "Mirai Seed," which is used by approximately 10,200 public elementary and junior high schools nationwide and over 3.6 million children and students. We hope it will be actively utilized as part of daily classes and inquiry-based learning.
■ Overview of the Educational Material
The material focuses on the social issue that furniture is difficult to dispose of. It starts with questions such as, "What would happen if we just threw away used furniture as it is?" and "What would happen if we continued to use new resources to make new furniture?"
Building on this, alongside Nitori's various initiatives to reduce garbage and cherish limited resources, students will learn about the ingenuity in product creation that considers the entire lifecycle from the "manufacturing" stage to "after-use" as "Nitori's Secrets," and proceed with research learning using various products as examples.
At the end of the class, the material is designed so that students share what they have researched with their classmates and think about what they can do for the future they will live in as a "personal matter."
■ Holding Public Classes and Hands-on Circular Learning Events
Prior to the distribution of the educational material, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, we held the first public class using this material for 68 fourth-grade students at Sapporo Municipal Yamahana Elementary School, together with the City of Sapporo, which aims to have the lowest amount of garbage discharged per person.
~Public Class Using This Material~
The students selected a theme from Nitori's "manufacture," "transport," and "after-use," and conducted research learning using the material to understand how Nitori is devising ways to reduce garbage and connect to resources at each stage.
The findings from the research learning were presented to classmates, creating a time for everyone to think about resource circulation together.
~Disassembly and Sorting Experience of "Easy Sorting Mattress"~
As an opportunity to put what they learned into practice, we conducted an experience of disassembling and sorting Nitori's "Easy Sorting Mattress."
Everyone experienced the series of processes, from cutting the side fabric to taking out the metal coils, which are resources.
After the experience, we received comments such as "It's very fun" and "It's easy to disassemble and sort," and they participated enthusiastically.
In addition, realizations emerged such as "It's a waste to just throw it away because it leads to resources," making it a place where anyone could realize while having fun that they can participate in resource circulation.
~Towels Collected by Children Sent to Nitori~
In Japan, many cloth products such as clothing and towels are not recycled into resources, and the low recycling rate is a social issue. Based on this learning event, the children called on their school and homes to collect towels.
[Download Page] https://bso.benesse.ne.jp/miraiseed/fansite/kigyou_collabo/index.html
The Nitori Group has established the "NITORI Group Green Vision 2050" as its environmental goal toward 2050. Among its initiatives, "Promoting Circular Business" is one of the key pillars. In order to reduce waste and use limited resources carefully, we are engaged in product creation and service provision with a view from the "manufacturing" stage to the "after-use" stage.
We want children, who are also our future customers, to know about Nitori's initiatives and to think together about the future. Based on this desire, the collaboration with Benesse and the joint development of the educational material under the supervision of Mr. Mitsuru Nakata, a teacher at Sapporo Municipal Yamahana Elementary School, were realized.
Through this material, we aim to provide an opportunity for students to learn about Nitori's thoughts and ingenuity in reducing garbage and cherishing resources, and to think and take action on what each individual can do for the future.
The developed material has begun distribution on Benesse's ICT learning software for elementary and junior high school students, "Mirai Seed," which is used by approximately 10,200 public elementary and junior high schools nationwide and over 3.6 million children and students. We hope it will be actively utilized as part of daily classes and inquiry-based learning.
■ Overview of the Educational Material
The material focuses on the social issue that furniture is difficult to dispose of. It starts with questions such as, "What would happen if we just threw away used furniture as it is?" and "What would happen if we continued to use new resources to make new furniture?"
Building on this, alongside Nitori's various initiatives to reduce garbage and cherish limited resources, students will learn about the ingenuity in product creation that considers the entire lifecycle from the "manufacturing" stage to "after-use" as "Nitori's Secrets," and proceed with research learning using various products as examples.
At the end of the class, the material is designed so that students share what they have researched with their classmates and think about what they can do for the future they will live in as a "personal matter."
■ Holding Public Classes and Hands-on Circular Learning Events
Prior to the distribution of the educational material, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, we held the first public class using this material for 68 fourth-grade students at Sapporo Municipal Yamahana Elementary School, together with the City of Sapporo, which aims to have the lowest amount of garbage discharged per person.
~Public Class Using This Material~
The students selected a theme from Nitori's "manufacture," "transport," and "after-use," and conducted research learning using the material to understand how Nitori is devising ways to reduce garbage and connect to resources at each stage.
The findings from the research learning were presented to classmates, creating a time for everyone to think about resource circulation together.
~Disassembly and Sorting Experience of "Easy Sorting Mattress"~
As an opportunity to put what they learned into practice, we conducted an experience of disassembling and sorting Nitori's "Easy Sorting Mattress."
Everyone experienced the series of processes, from cutting the side fabric to taking out the metal coils, which are resources.
After the experience, we received comments such as "It's very fun" and "It's easy to disassemble and sort," and they participated enthusiastically.
In addition, realizations emerged such as "It's a waste to just throw it away because it leads to resources," making it a place where anyone could realize while having fun that they can participate in resource circulation.
~Towels Collected by Children Sent to Nitori~
In Japan, many cloth products such as clothing and towels are not recycled into resources, and the low recycling rate is a social issue. Based on this learning event, the children called on their school and homes to collect towels.