Kokonohe Town in Akita Prefecture, Japan, is attracting attention for its "educational exchange" program aimed at elementary and junior high school students from other regions. The program allows students to experience local life by attending elementary and junior high schools in Kokonohe Town for several days to a maximum of two weeks. The program is gaining popularity due to its flexible operating method, which allows students to be marked as present at their original schools as well. Educational exchange students interact with not only the school but also the local residents, and some families have even been so captivated by the environment that they have relocated.

The system was launched in 2022 and has been accepting educational exchange students at the elementary and junior high schools in the town. Last year, a total of 20 students participated from June to February. A condition is that parents and students must stay in accommodation facilities or at relatives' homes.

Kikuchi Kana, a fourth-grader from Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, has a relative in Kokonohe Town and has participated in educational exchanges during school breaks. Last year, she stayed for five days and recalls, "The snow fight PE class was the most fun."

Kokonohe Elementary School has open classrooms without doors, so children interested in other classes come to the classroom and say, "Bring me the handouts." After school and on holidays, local residents serve as instructors, offering a variety of programs such as music, sports, and e-sports, allowing students to interact with many residents regardless of age.

One family who completed the educational exchange program decided to move from Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, to Kokonohe Town in just a month and a half. They explained that they felt a gap between the educational goals of Kokonohe Town and common perceptions, and that they were also disappointed that they couldn't ask enough questions due to time constraints.

Therefore, they announced that they would introduce Kokonohe Town's education from three perspectives: "formal education," "non-formal education," and "informal education," using their eldest son as an example. Informal education refers to learning in everyday life, and in Kokonohe Town, the natural environment and traditional culture are well preserved, allowing children to interact with nature on a daily basis and learn about the origins of seasonal ingredients. They also mentioned that adults have a unique approach of freely sharing knowledge and skills with children.

As such, Kokonohe Town's education is organically linked through the three types of formal, non-formal, and informal education. Through various experiences, each educational exchange family can gain unique experiences, which vary depending on the season and chance encounters. This family directly experienced the flexibility of the curriculum as well as the diverse informal education in Kokonohe Town, recalling that observing the lifestyle of the local people was similar to the field training conducted by high school or university students.

The reason for deciding to relocate to Kokonohe Town was their eldest son's inability to attend school regularly due to health reasons during the educational exchange period. This was because he had experienced long-term trauma after witnessing a family member suffering from a mental illness. They were worried about being far away from their son's teachers after the move, but they decided to do so after a professional counselor suggested, "If a change is necessary, it's worth trying to heal your body and mind through educational exchange."

The appropriate educational method may vary depending on individual circumstances and situations. This family had experienced various educational programs in the past, but they realized that it was ultimately difficult to expect their child's healthy growth through fragmented education alone. The Kokonohe Town Educational Exchange program is meaningful in that it provides children with opportunities to freely experience the rich educational environment of the town and learn independently. They plan to continue supporting their two children's growth within the diverse and flexible educational system of Kokonohe Town.