Ichikawa Higashi Elementary School Trial Enrollment Support Program
Contact Us 日本語Why not experience real elementary school life and local living in the mountains of Ichikawamisato Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, surrounded by nature?
Ichikawa Higashi Elementary School welcomes children and families
from outside the town for trial enrollment.
You can experience the warm environment unique to small-scale
education, along with daily life in the local community.
In an environment where every child gets individual attention, children can spend their days with a sense of security.
Surrounded by the rich nature of the countryside, students can experience school life while feeling the changing seasons.
There is a warm community where the whole region enjoys
being with the children.
We provide full support from before your trial enrollment
begins until the end of your stay.
Even if this is your first time staying in a rural area, we will support your family so you can relax and enjoy your visit to the fullest.
We help with communication and schedule arrangements with the school.
Feel free to ask us about daily life and the local community.
We can introduce local events, recommended spots, shopping, and nearby facilities.
Ichikawa Higashi Elementary School is scheduled to be merged with
another school in fiscal year 2032 (Reiwa 14).
The length of time your child can attend Ichikawa Higashi Elementary
School depends on their current age.
| Grade in FY2026 | Age (approx.) | FY2032 |
|---|---|---|
| Final year of kindergarten (pre-enrollment) | 5–6 years old | Candidate for the last graduating class of Higashi Elementary |
| Second year of kindergarten | 4–5 years old | Transfers to the merged school in 5th grade |
| First year of kindergarten | 3–4 years old | Transfers to the merged school in 4th grade |
| Age 2 | 2–3 years old | Transfers to the merged school in 3rd grade |
| Age 1 | 1–2 years old | Transfers to the merged school in 2nd grade |
| Age 0 | 0–1 years old | Transfers to the merged school in 1st grade |
We recommend staying with your family at one of the following accommodations while visiting for the trial enrollment.
A charming old farmhouse inn surrounded by the nature of the
countryside.
It's within walking distance of the elementary school.
Your family can settle in and live comfortably, almost like being
at home.
It also offers a variety of experience programs, including
vegetable harvesting, udon-making, washi paper-making, and
seal (hanko) carving.
A campground on the shore of Lake Shibire, where you can stay
in a mountain lodge.
Every day of your stay feels like an outdoor adventure.
During the warmer months you can swim in the lake or enjoy SUP.
In the depths of winter, the lake surface sometimes freezes!
You'll need to drive to Ichikawa Higashi Elementary School from here.
Please contact the accommodation directly to arrange bookings and
discuss detailed plans.
If your preferred accommodation is fully booked, we can suggest
other options, so please feel free to contact us.
Since this is a public elementary school, there is no fee for the
trial enrollment itself, but the following costs will apply separately.
Our children normally attend an international school, but we took part in the trial enrollment during the summer break.
Because the class was so small, the teachers were able to look after each child carefully, and our children quickly settled into the school.
The local community also welcomed us so warmly that we, as parents, felt completely at ease sending our children out each day.
Since we normally live in an urban area, our children don't often get the chance to be close to nature.
For that reason, all the experiences surrounded by such rich nature felt very fresh, and they seem to have become unforgettable memories for our children.
In particular, making fire at Lake Shibire seems to have left the strongest impression — even after we got home, they kept excitedly telling us about it again and again.
Beyond the experiences in nature, being able to actually feel a uniquely Japanese school life and connection with the local community was an extremely valuable experience, both for our children and for us as parents.
We feel that this environment, where school, community, and nature come together as one, offers a kind of value that is hard to find elsewhere.
We would love to take part again next year.
We hope that opportunities like this will continue, and that more and more children will be able to learn from the local nature and the connections with people in the community.
Tokyo — Parent of a 1st grader and a 3rd grader
In principle, we ask for a stay of at least 3 days. Adjustments may be needed depending on school events and availability, so please feel free to contact us first.
The grades and time periods we can accommodate are decided in coordination with the school.
Yes. This program requires that a parent or guardian accompany the child. Children are not able to participate on their own.
Yes. If you pay the school lunch fee for the number of days of the trial enrollment, your child can be registered for school lunch. Please let us know in advance about any allergies.
Currently, children commute either by car with a parent, or on foot accompanied by a parent (due to the presence of wild animals in the area). If transportation is difficult for you, please let us know.
We will guide you through school life and daily life in the community. If you have any concerns, please feel free to ask us.
Yes. We welcome families living abroad, as well as children who are temporarily back in Japan. Please make use of this opportunity to experience Japanese school life and community living.
Once you have decided on your preferred time period, we recommend contacting us as early as possible. We will coordinate with the school while checking school events and accommodation availability.
You can view school events, daily activities, and the children's school life on the official website.
See the children's daily life →If you are interested in trial enrollment, please get in touch with us here.