April 4th is 'Children's Watch Day': '7-year-old Traffic Safety Project' Special Advertisement to be Implemented on April 4th to Protect Children from the 'Devil's Age of 7' When Traffic Accident Risk Soars
Kokumin Kyosai coop will publish a special advertisement in the Asahi Shogakusei Shimbun on April 4th, 'Children's Watch Day,' to raise social awareness about preventing traffic accidents among new first-grade elementary school students, focusing on the 'devil's age of 7' when accident risk is particularly high.
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- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 00:00
Kokumin Kyosai coop (National Federation of Workers' and Consumers' Co-operative Insurance, Representative Director and President: Shuichi Uchiage) will publish a special advertisement, linking a 3-column ad on the front page and a 15-column ad on the back page, in the Asahi Shogakusei Shimbun (Asahi Student Newspaper, Representative Director and President: Masanobu Yasuda) on April 4th, designated as 'Children's Watch Day'.
The special advertisement will introduce the '7-year-old Traffic Safety Project' undertaken by our association and promote social awareness for preventing traffic accidents among new first-grade elementary school students. As a new attempt to tell a story across newspaper pages, it expresses the anxiety of children walking to school alone for the first time and the presence of adults watching over them in the community.
Starting from April 4th, 'Children's Watch Day', we will disseminate the importance of traffic rules and watch activities, and raise social momentum to protect children from traffic accidents.
Traffic Accident Risk for New First Graders
Children around the age of 7, when they enter elementary school, have an expanded range of activity
but are considered to be at a high risk of traffic accidents.
The reasons for this include "their line of sight is lower than adults, making it difficult to notice cars,"
"their ability to predict danger is not yet fully developed," and "they suddenly have more opportunities to act alone."
It is also said that many traffic accidents occur on familiar roads within 500m of home,
making accident prevention on school routes and daily roads important.
Therefore, in addition to traffic safety education for children themselves, efforts to watch over children by the entire community are required.
April 4th is 'Children's Watch Day'
Kokumin Kyosai coop promotes April 4th, which is just before the new school year in spring, as 'Children's Watch Day'.
April 4th coincides with the period just before elementary school enrollment season and the spring traffic safety campaign, and is positioned as a day to encourage society as a whole to think about children's traffic safety.
Starting from this day, we aim to spread understanding of 'watch activities' conducted in communities and establish a culture of watching over children throughout society.
April 4th 'Children's Watch Day'
URL：https://www.zenrosai.coop/anshin/7pj/community.html
Awareness Actions to Expand Children's Watch Activities
1. Donation of Crossing Flags
To link the use of mutual aid products to solving social issues, we started an initiative in June 2020 to donate one crossing flag for every estimate of 'My Car Mutual Aid'. To date, we have donated over 1.94 million crossing flags (including Pit-kun and Ko-suke collaboration flags) to children's centers, elementary schools, and other facilities nationwide.
2. Implementation & Distribution of Online Traffic Safety Classes for Elementary Schools
An 'Online Traffic Safety Class' for elementary school students was held on June 25, 2025, with 7,104 children from 75 schools nationwide participating. The class video has been available as an archive since July 31, 2025. Mr. Akihiro Numata, also known as 'Numacchi-sensei' (teacher at Tokyo Gakugei University Oizumi Elementary School), served as the instructor. The class features 10 quizzes related to pedestrian traffic safety, divided into beginner to super-advanced levels, allowing children to learn about traffic safety while having fun. Please watch it.
URL：https://www.zenrosai.coop/anshin/7pj/rule/school202506.html
＜What is the 7-year-old Traffic Safety Project?＞
Children aged 7, whose range of activity expands when they enter elementary school, have a lower line of sight than adults and their attention is not yet fully developed, resulting in a significantly higher number of traffic accident fatalities (according to the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis). Focusing on this data, our association has been working to reduce traffic accidents since January 2019 to protect children's future.
URL：https://www.zenrosai.coop/anshin/7pj.html
＜Main Initiatives of the 7-year-old Traffic Safety Project So Far＞
1. Traffic Safety Digital Picture Book Published on Official Website
To raise traffic safety awareness among children and parents, a digital picture book titled "Fushigi na Fushigi na Magical Megane" (Mysterious Magical Glasses), which allows parents and children to learn about traffic safety while having fun, is available on the official website.
URL：https://www.zenrosai.coop/stories/7pj/book.html
2. Joint Research with Kanazawa University
Joint research with Kanazawa University started in November 2019. We are investigating children's perspectives and behaviors, focusing on 7-year-olds, and conducting specific experiments, analyses, and improvements to protect children from traffic accidents.
3. 'My Town's 7-year-old Traffic Safety Hazard Map' Published
Developed jointly by Kokumin Kyosai coop and Kanazawa University. This tool clearly displays locations where traffic accidents have occurred in the past, allowing users to check particularly dangerous spots before commuting to school or work, or going out. Anyone can also post information about dangerous places nearby or ongoing traffic safety initiatives, enabling users to share information collectively.
4. Kokumin Kyosai coop '7-year-old Traffic Safety Project' × note Submission Contest
'#ThinkingAboutChildSafety'
A collaboration contest with note, '#ThinkingAboutChildSafety', was held from May 13 to June 1, 2025. In this contest, we solicited episodes such as community watch activities for children on school routes and being saved by someone holding a yellow crossing flag. During the period, we received 2,943 wonderful entries that conveyed a warm gaze towards children. URL：https://note.com/info/n/n836214f34160
5. 'Safe Driving Diagnosis' Service
The free content 'Safe Driving Diagnosis', which diagnoses driving types based on a driver's personality traits and provides tips for accident prevention, was launched on September 19, 2025. By answering 20 simple questions, you can determine your type from 9 basic personality types. It then provides advice on your strengths and weaknesses in driving according to your personality, and tips for traffic safety. No profile registration is required, and anyone can easily use it.
URL：https://www.zenrosai.coop/anshin/7pj/manners/shindan/index.html
＜Asahi Shogakusei Shimbun (Asahi Student Newspaper Co., Ltd.)＞
Asahi Student Newspaper Co., Ltd. is a group company of Asahi Shimbun Company. It was established in 1967 to publish newspapers for elementary school students. Currently, it publishes the daily newspaper for elementary school students 'Asahi Shogakusei Shimbun', the weekly newspaper for junior and senior high school students 'Asahi Chuko-sei Shimbun', and the monthly information magazine for junior high to university entrance exams 'Asahi Shingaku Joho'.
◆Asahi Student Newspaper Co., Ltd. Website：https://www.asahi.com/asagakuplus/
＜Kokumin Kyosai coop＞
Official name: National Federation of Workers' and Consumers' Co-operative Insurance
Born in September 1957 as a mutual aid cooperative. 'Kyosai' (mutual aid) is a system where 'everyone helps each other to prepare for someone's emergency'. In a rapidly changing environment surrounding us, such as an aging society with a declining birthrate and the occurrence of large-scale disasters, Kokumin Kyosai coop continues to walk with everyone towards 'building a rich and safe society through the concept and system of mutual aid'.
◆Kokumin Kyosai coop History of Mutual Aid: https://www.zenrosai.coop/web/ayumi/
FAQ
What specific risks are associated with 'the devil's age of 7'?
Children around age 7, just before and after entering elementary school, are at particularly high risk of traffic accidents because their range of activity expands, but their line of sight is low and their ability to predict danger is still immature.
Why is 'Children's Watch Day' on April 4th?
It is positioned as a day to encourage society as a whole to think about children's traffic safety, as it coincides with the period just before the new school year and the spring traffic safety campaign.
How can I participate in the '7-year-old Traffic Safety Project'?
You can contribute by using digital picture books and hazard maps on the official website, watching online classes, participating in the note submission contest, and using the safe driving diagnostic service.