"Gather Around! Elementary School Students" Kurese Elementary School Edition (Aired on April 4, 2026) ~ The Dankin Club serves matcha at the "Dankin Festival" and conducts safety patrols. What are the unique charms of Kurese 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 children's genuine voices, we can once again feel the charm of the community.

In the broadcast on April 4, 2026 (Saturday), we introduced the situation at "Kurese Elementary School" located in Mabi, Kurashiki City.

We will share the lively voices of the children.

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

The information provided is based on the information at the time of the article's publication in May 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.

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 school everyone attends. Additionally, we highlight the "School District Pride," where children share the good and favorite aspects of their community from their perspective.

They talk about their exciting future dreams and express gratitude to their families who are always with them... We will also present heartwarming interviews that will surely touch the hearts of adults.

This time, we visited Kurese Elementary School located in Mabi, Kurashiki City. The total number of students is 71. It is a small school wrapped in a calm and warm atmosphere, surrounded by rich nature.

The charm of Kurese Elementary School was shared by the children right away.

About Kurese Elementary School

The first to introduce the school is Mahiro Yamabe. She shared a lot about the charm of Kurese Elementary School.

Despite having only 71 students, everyone is very close regardless of their grade, and during recess, they all play together. Yamabe said, "The air is very fresh," highlighting the rich nature surrounding the school.

Additionally, the children seem to value the local traditions.
Every October, at the Koto-hon Rock, where the great person of Mabi Town, Kibi no Makibi, is said to have played the koto, the "Dankin Festival" is held. Kurese Elementary School has a Dankin Club that serves tea at the festival, and they sometimes serve tea to the mayor.

Being able to have valuable experiences deeply connected to the community is also a unique pride of Kurese Elementary School.

Kurese Elementary School Students Talk About "School & School District Pride"

Next, we will introduce the "strong points of the school and school district" that the children are proud of.

Three children presented the charms of Kurese Elementary School and its district.

1. The presence of safety patrols that walk to and from school together

Narumi Imoto shared the first pride, which is the safety patrols by local people.

As a unique initiative of Kurese Elementary School, adults do not just watch over the school route, but accompany the walking groups to school. Thanks to this thorough supervision, she said, "I can go to school every day with peace of mind."

The safety patrols are a close and reassuring presence for the children, like a member of their walking group.

2. The close relationships among all students across grades

Next, Ria Inada mentioned as her pride the closeness among all students.

Although it is a small school, the distance between everyone is close, and students from first to sixth grade invite each other to play. The playground during recess is lively, with everyone playing energetically regardless of their grade.

The warm atmosphere created by being able to see each individual’s face enveloped Kurese Elementary School.

3. The unique "Dankin Club" of Kurese Elementary School

Finally, Shizuka Mano presented her pride.
She introduced the activities of the "Dankin Club," which values local traditions.

In the club, the children learn the tea ceremony from scratch in preparation for the Dankin Festival held once a year. On the day of the festival, they showcase their tea-making skills and prepare delicious matcha using the techniques they have learned.

While mastering the formal techniques is challenging, experiencing the region's historic culture is surely a valuable experience. The skills and culture learned will surely be useful even in adulthood.

Kurese Elementary School is a warm school with the charm of a small, homey environment and rich nature. I hope to continue supporting initiatives like the Dankin Club that connect local traditions to the next generation.

Thank you, everyone at Kurese Elementary School.

Voices of Children Looking Toward the Future

After learning a lot about the charm of the school, we also asked everyone about their future dreams.

The 11 children who answered the interview shared dreams of becoming athletes or animal caretakers, while others expressed a desire to be "people who can contribute to society," "kind people," or simply "wanting to live long." 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 Kurese Elementary School.