"Gather Around! Elementary School Students" Midorigaoka Elementary School Edition (Broadcast on October 18, 2025) ~ Enjoying Life in a Green School Surrounded by Breathtaking Mountains and Seasonal Festivals at Midorigaoka Elementary School

On FM Kurashiki, every Saturday from 8 AM to 9 AM, we broadcast "Gather! Elementary School Students".

The personality, Asuka Abe, visits elementary schools in Kurashiki City to interview children who talk about the charm of their schools and school districts, as well as their big dreams. Through the genuine voices of the children, we can once again feel the charm of the community.

In the broadcast on October 18, 2025 (Saturday), we introduced the situation at "Midorioka Elementary School" located in Kojima, Kurashiki City.

We will share the lively voices of the children.

This article is a contributed piece by FM Kurashiki. It has been edited and published by the Haretoco General Incorporated Association editorial team.

FM Kurashiki "Gather! Elementary School Students"

In "Gather! Elementary School Students," we conduct direct interviews with sixth graders at the visited elementary schools, deeply exploring the charm of the schools everyone attends. Additionally, we highlight the "School District Pride," where children share the good and favorite aspects of their community from their perspective.

We will also present heartwarming interviews that make even adults feel emotional, as children talk about their exciting future dreams and express gratitude to their families who are always with them.

This time, we visited Midorioka Elementary School located in Kojima, Kurashiki City. Established in 1972, it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. The school is surrounded by rich nature.

We immediately asked the children to talk about the charm of Midorioka Elementary School.

About Midorioka Elementary School

The school introduction was given by Naoya Katayama. Despite being the first presenter, he confidently shared the charm of the school.

As the name suggests, Midorioka Elementary School is a vibrant school surrounded by lush greenery. There are about 189 students in total, with 11 classes.

To the north of the school building, mountains rise, and due to the abundance of nature, animals occasionally appear in the schoolyard as if to say, "Excuse me."

Additionally, the well-equipped facilities of Midorioka Elementary School are also a charm. The playground, filled with play equipment, is spacious enough to comfortably accommodate all the students. There are also many special classrooms, including a library, art room, two music rooms, science room, home economics room, clothing room, representative committee room, and computer room.

In the second semester of 2025, a new school lunch center was established. It's great to be able to enjoy delicious school lunches every day.

Midorioka Elementary School celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. In the same year, earthquake-resistant construction was carried out, creating a safe and secure environment for the children.

Finally, Katayama said, "Among the elementary schools in Kurashiki City, Midorioka Elementary School is the only one that includes the character 'green' in its name." This can be seen as proof that Midorioka Elementary School is blessed with nature.

It is a charming school with a rich natural environment, well-equipped facilities, and safety measures in place.

Students of Midorioka Elementary School Talk About "School & School District Pride"

Next, we will introduce the "pride in their school and school district" that the children are proud of.

Three elementary school students shared the charms of their school and school district.

1. Support from Warm Community Members

The first presentation was by Naoya Katayama. He talked about the warm support from community members.

For example, in math, he learned multiplication during recess, and thanks to the careful teaching, he became quite good at it. He also mentioned that in home economics class, the sewing lessons are taught with kindness to ensure that students won't have trouble in the future.

In addition to classes, community members are very enthusiastic about volunteering for activities like storytelling and safety patrols. Katayama expressed heartfelt gratitude for their daily support in ensuring a safe and secure school life.

The warm interactions with community members will surely be etched in the memories of the children.

2. Seasonal Festivals Enjoyed by the Whole Community

Next, Haruto Yamashita introduced the seasonal festivals held in the community.

In particular, the spring cherry blossom festival features performances by the Midorioka Elementary School taiko drum club and dances by community members, making it a very lively event. Yamashita mentioned that he loves this cherry blossom festival with many food stalls.

It seems that the taiko drum club also performs at the autumn festival, indicating that they are in high demand at community events. Additionally, the summer festival features ring tossing, and the winter festival includes karate demonstrations and a drone show.

Not only are the festivals themselves enjoyable, but it's also wonderful that they provide opportunities for community members to gather.

3. Initiatives of Mizushima Rinkai Railway that Bring Smiles to the Community

Finally, Shino Nagayama shared that the rich natural environment is a pride of Midorioka Elementary School.

What Nagayama particularly likes is Hieda Sakura Park, which is also the venue for the cherry blossom festival.

As the name suggests, beautiful cherry blossoms bloom in spring, making it a perfect spot for cherry blossom viewing. While there are many cherry blossom viewing spots in Kurashiki City, Hieda Sakura Park, which is also a place for children to relax, is one I want to visit.

Midorioka Elementary School is so close to nature that wild animals come into the schoolyard. I hope the children can learn and grow freely in this rich environment where they can feel the changing seasons.

Voices of Children Looking Toward the Future

After learning about the school's charms, we also asked everyone about their future dreams.

Twenty students participated in the interview this time.
They shared a variety of unique dreams, such as becoming sports players active in the world, carpenters, hairdressers, crane operators, chefs, and stationery store owners. Imagining everyone's future selves is exciting.

The sight of children challenging themselves with "what they love" gives us adults great courage and inspiration.

Thank you, everyone at Midorioka Elementary School.

Conclusion

In "Gather! Elementary School Students," we will continue to deliver the charms of schools and communities through the voices of children.

Every time we visit an elementary school, we feel that the children are growing every day with the warm support of their teachers and community members.

FM Kurashiki will continue to watch over the local children so that they can spend their days healthily and happily.