This is the third installment of the Abira Town x Domingo series!
"I want to raise my children in a town with an environment where they can grow up freely and happily." Many people are likely searching for a place to live with this thought in mind.

When you think of a town suitable for raising children, various key points probably come to mind, such as "plenty of nature," "easy to join or create local communities," "great parks," "a strong focus on education," and "adequate medical facilities."

This article introduces Abira Town, a place that particularly focuses on one of these points: "education." With its creation of children's play areas and systems to support residents' new challenges, it's a must-see town for anyone considering moving for the sake of their children's upbringing.
Let's take a look at Abira Town's initiatives in "education"!
Abira Town Official Website
Abira Town Official Facebook Page

Supporting Growth from Childhood to Adulthood: The "Abira Education Plan"

Abira Town has the "Abira Education Plan," a system that supports children as they grow, covering everything from "play" and "learning" to "taking on challenges."
It nurtures curiosity and sensitivity through play with "Abira no Yuiku," expands horizons through learning with "Abilabo," and encourages taking on challenges based on interests with "Kaitaku."
Through these three stages, the town supports children in building a "new world" for themselves.

Let's take a closer look at each of these three initiatives!

"Yuiku": Providing Fulfilling Play for Children

"Yuiku" primarily targets children from infancy to the upper elementary school grades.
This unfamiliar term, "Yuiku" (play-based education), refers to fostering healthy children by allowing them to acquire fundamental motor skills, intellect, and social skills in a balanced way through "play."
For example, the feel of a tree when climbing it, the smell of the earth when digging a hole in the ground, the coldness of water during water play...
"Yuiku" provides opportunities, places, and the very act of play for children, who are spending less time playing outside, to have the "real experiences" essential for cultivating their five senses and sensitivity.

We interviewed Mr. Hiromu Suzuki, who is in charge of the program!

What is "Yuiku"?

"Education" is about adults teaching various things to children to nurture them. In contrast, "Yuiku" is about children taking the lead and growing through play.

In other words, it's about children realizing the many things they "want to try." Realizing what they "want to try" becomes the seed for "learning" and "challenges" as they grow, and it forms the foundation of who they are as a person.
While food is nourishment for the body, play is nourishment for the soul. The "Yuiku" project's mission is to provide the , , and for children, primarily from infancy to upper elementary school.

"Play = nourishment for the soul"—I can certainly feel how childhood play stays with you into adulthood and has shaped who I am today! What kind of for play are there in the town?

First, there's the indoor playground "Play-ba" inside Abira Town's community space, ENTRANCE.

Here, "Asobi Kaigi" (Play Meetings) are held to create play from scratch. Elementary, middle school, high school students, and adults interact regardless of age, playing the piano, drawing, or doing crafts.
Various forms of play emerge here every day.
Next is the outdoor playground "Ganke-yama Adventure Playground," which newly opened in May 2021.

At the "Adventure Playground," we keep prohibitions to a minimum. It's a place where children can play freely, engaging in activities like crafts, digging holes, making bonfires, and playing with water. A wide range of generations comes to play, from elementary school students to babies, toddlers, middle and high schoolers, and seniors.
Ganke-yama is located on a very large piece of private land owned by a town resident. The playground equipment that enriches play, like the observation deck and swings, are all handmade by everyone. Since it's a vast space in the middle of nature, the possibilities for play are endless, from building secret bases to making bonfires and treasure hunting.
It's the perfect place for creating play.

Please tell us about your passion for "Yuiku" and your vision for the future!

In Yuiku, we carry out various activities with the aim of children becoming "protagonists" who make their own world interesting, rather than "consumers" who engage in predetermined play.
We want to continue creating spaces where children can increasingly realize their desires to "try something!" or "learn something!" and nurture those sparks into bigger flames.
The three projects of the Abira Education Plan—"Yuiku," "Abilabo," and "Kaitaku"—work in close collaboration to create an environment where children can thrive, so please feel free to come and play!

"Abilabo": A Publicly-Run School Supporting Endless Learning

"Abilabo," targeting students from 4th grade elementary to 3rd grade junior high, is a publicly-run school established as part of Abira Town's regional revitalization project.
Usually, when you think of a cram school (juku), you might imagine a place where teachers help you with subjects like Japanese or math that you don't understand, or where everyone solves the same problems and listens to explanations.
Abira Town's public school "Abilabo" is completely different—it's a "non-teaching after-school classroom."
The "learning" part is left to the professional educators, the school teachers. At Abilabo, the goal is to create opportunities for children to develop an interest or find things "interesting."
With the theme "Add an interesting filter to everyday life," Abilabo offers two types of classes: "Theme Classes" and "Skill Classes."
Theme Classes are designed to broaden children's perspectives and make the world more interesting by re-examining familiar themes from a different angle. In the 2020 fiscal year, five courses were offered: Music, Sports, Art, Fashion, and Money.

Skill Classes are designed to help students acquire the thinking and communication skills needed in school and society through practical application. In the 2020 fiscal year, a Presentation course was offered (with four parts: Communication, Scenario, Slides, and Speaking).

By looking at things from a different perspective, children make their own world more interesting. Then, they think and communicate while taking action. By experiencing different forms of "learning" at both school and Abilabo, the program is designed to help children better appreciate the joy of learning.
The name "Abilabo" comes from "Abira Town" + "Lab" (short for Laboratory), and it embodies the idea that just as there is no end to research, there is no end to "learning."
Currently, they are accepting applications for the "Earth" theme class! If you're interested, be sure to check it out!

"Kaitaku": Supporting Those Who Bravely Take on Challenges

Abira Town, which was heavily damaged by the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, is showing signs of recovery, but still faces significant challenges. With the belief that "courage" and "challenge" are necessary for the future of Abira Town, they are undertaking initiatives to support the challenges of its residents.
They support a wide range of residents, from elementary school students to adults, in their various endeavors.

The Abira Town Kaitaku Project is looking for passionate challengers who have something they "want to do, want to try." They support turning "ideas into reality" by introducing various methods, such as crowdfunding to raise funds online, and "ABIRA Talks," a real-life crowdfunding event to gather small amounts of funding from friends and the community.

"I want to create a new product, but I'm not sure if it will sell..."
"I want to hold an event I've planned myself! But how..."
"I want to improve a certain part of Abira Town! But I need money..."
"I want to fulfill my dream while living in Abira Town! But how..."
"There's someone in Abira Town I want to support! But they need money..."

This is a system that stands by the residents' desire to take on challenges, accompanies them in turning their ideas into reality, and provides full support.
It also serves as a place where children can realize the "I want to try!" and "This is interesting!" feelings cultivated through "Yuiku" and "Abilabo."

This time, we introduced Abira Town's focus on "education."
With a system in place to support the learning and challenges of many residents, from young children to adults, I was very excited to imagine a future where life in Abira Town becomes even more interesting!
If you're even slightly interested in Abira Town, please check out the websites and social media for each initiative and the Abira Town Hall.