"Gather Around! Elementary School Students" Sabi Elementary School Edition (Aired on April 18, 2026) ~ Right in Front is Japan's Oldest Beach! Surrounded by Sea and Mountains, Spending Time Closely Interacting with Local People at Sabi 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 April 18, 2026 (Saturday), we introduced the situation at "Sami Elementary School" located in Tamashima, 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.

FM Kurashiki "Gather! Elementary School Students"

In "Gather! Elementary School Students," we conduct direct interviews with 6th graders at the visited elementary schools, deeply exploring the charm of the schools everyone attends. Additionally, the "School District Pride," where children share the good and favorite aspects of their community from their perspective, is also a highlight.

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 Sami Elementary School located in Kurashiki City, Tamashima Kurosaki.
With only 22 students in total, the close relationships across grades are a charm of the school. The nearby Sami Beach is often visited during classes.

The charm of Sami Elementary School was quickly shared by the children.

About Sami Elementary School

The first to introduce the school is Kakuma Kobayashi.
He presented clearly and politely.

An indispensable charm of Sami Elementary School is the strong friendships among all students across grades.
During recess and cleaning time, there are many opportunities for interaction beyond grade levels, so they know each other well. In the weekly "All-School Physical Education," students from 1st to 6th grades form the same teams, and the older students enjoy activities while being considerate of the younger ones.

Additionally, since Sami Elementary School has a kitchen on campus, they can always enjoy fresh and delicious school lunches. The meals are creatively presented with vegetables shaped like stars and hearts, and homemade cupcakes and sata andagi by the cooking staff, making them visually enjoyable as well.

The warm and heartfelt school lunches have become a daily joy for the children.

Furthermore, the abundance of interactions with local people is also a characteristic. In the annual "Challenge Classroom," local residents become teachers and teach activities like balloon art and ground golf, which are experiences that are rarely encountered otherwise. Additionally, there are monthly storytelling sessions and patrol teams that watch over the children during their commutes, so they are supported by many local people in their school life.

The many events that utilize the sea right in front of the school are also a delightful point for the children. In April, there is the "Beach Gathering," summer swimming at the beach, and fishing boat experiences for 5th and 6th graders, along with a monthly "Beach Clean" where everyone picks up trash on the beach.

Kobayashi said, "We want to continue working hard on the beach clean-up to keep our Sami Elementary School beautiful."

Children of Sami Elementary School Talk About "Pride in Their School & School District"

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

Three children presented the charms of Sami Elementary School and its district in a ranking format.

3rd Place: Many Kind Local People

The first to present their pride was Saki Sanada.

Saki Sanada's 3rd place pride is that there are many kind local people.
During their commutes, local residents warmly say "Have a good day" and "Welcome back" to the children. They also actively participate in school events, providing many opportunities for interaction.

This environment, where the entire community comes together to watch over the children, is an important pride of the school district.

2nd Place: Events to Interact with Local People

Fuka Hirata mentioned that the 2nd place is the abundance of events to interact with local people.

Starting with the spring "Beach Clean-Up," there is a "Marine Sports Festival" unique to the seaside in summer, a lively "Autumn Festival" in fall, and a "Ground Golf Tournament" in winter.

Numerous events are held throughout the year, and Hirata said, "It's fun to talk with people of various ages at the events."

The bonds nurtured through community events surely become invaluable memories for the children.

1st Place: Rich Nature Surrounded by Sea and Mountains

The last to present was Honoka Harada, who proudly stated that the 1st place pride is the rich nature surrounded by sea and mountains.

Sami Beach, which spreads right in front of the school, has been selected as one of the "Top 100 Beaches in Japan" and is said to be the first beach for swimming in Japan, making it a historic place. The sea is so familiar to the children of Sami Elementary School that it even appears in the lyrics of their school song.

In summer, they swim in the sea, and when they climb the mountains, they can enjoy wonderful views, making it a point of pride for Sami Elementary School to fully enjoy nature.

The environment where they can easily go play in both the sea and mountains may be a treasure unique to the Sami school district that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

Despite being a small school, all the students are friendly, creating a very warm atmosphere. Surrounded by the sea and mountains, the children grow up while closely interacting with the local people. We hope to continue watching everyone's growth.

Thank you, everyone at Sami Elementary School.

Voices of Children Looking Toward the Future

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

The four children who answered the interview shared their aspirations.
They mentioned wanting to be a chef, a salesperson, a comedy novelist, and one even said, "I want to be someone who continues to take on new challenges." Imagining everyone's future selves is exciting.

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

Thank you, everyone at Sami Elementary School.