“Gather Around! Elementary School Students” Kurashiki Minami Elementary School Edition (Broadcast September 6, 2025)～Children of Kurashiki Minami Elementary School Growing Up Healthy in a Beautiful School Building and a City That Continues to Develop

“Gather, Elementary School Students!” airs on FM Kurashiki every Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

Hosted by Asuka Abe, the program visits elementary schools in Kurashiki City to explore what makes each school and its district special, and interview children about their big dreams. Hearing directly from the children offers a fresh appreciation of the region’s appeal.

The September 6, 2025, episode introduced life at Kurashiki Minami Elementary School in Higashitomii, Kurashiki City.

Here are the lively voices of the children.

This article was contributed by FM Kurashiki Co., Ltd. It was edited and published by the editorial team of Haretoco General Incorporated Association.

The information presented here was current when the article was published in October 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.

FM Kurashiki: “Gather, Elementary School Students!”

On “Gather, Elementary School Students!,” the hosts interview sixth graders at each school they visit, taking a closer look at what makes their school special. Also featured is “What We’re Proud of About Our District,” where children share what they like about their community from their own perspective.

The program also features heartwarming interviews that may move even adults, as children talk about their exciting dreams for the future or express gratitude to the family members who are always by their side.

This time, the program visited Kurashiki Minami Elementary School in Higashitomii, Kurashiki City. The new school celebrated its 17th anniversary in 2025.

The children were quick to tell us what they love about Kurashiki Minami Elementary School.

About Kurashiki Minami Elementary School

The first to introduce the school was Sota Tasaki. He spoke so clearly that he sounded just like a professional announcer.

The first thing Tasaki introduced was Kurashiki Minami Elementary School’s goal: “To be a school where children are kindhearted and resilient.” The goal is displayed on a terrace visible from the schoolyard, making sure it catches the children’s eyes.

To achieve this goal, the school runs initiatives such as “Friendship and Happiness Week,” which encourages children to value others, and “Nice Card,” awarded to those who greet others in a loud, clear voice.

Next, he told us about the history of Kurashiki Minami Elementary School.

Kurashiki Minami Elementary School has a short history, having opened just 17 years ago. Its spacious hallways, elevators, and other accessibility features are among the school’s attractions. Tasaki said his favorite thing about the school is that the building is clean and new.

He also told us that many local volunteers help out, keeping a watchful eye on the children as they try activities such as sewing machine and shichirin charcoal grill experiences.

“I’m proud of Kurashiki Minami Elementary School,” Tasaki said to wrap up.
We hope the children will continue to grow and thrive in their clean, comfortable school while exchanging with local residents.

“What We’re Proud of About Our School and District,” According to Kurashiki Minami Elementary School Students

Next, we’ll introduce what the children are proud of about their school and district.

This time, three elementary school students shared their points of pride in a ranked list.

1. Exchange with friendly local residents

The first to share was Wakana Nakamura. Let’s hear her ranking of what makes the district special.

In third place: lots of delicious places to eat. She told us about a recently opened Japanese restaurant and a butcher shop with delicious meat.

In second place: the variety of animals living by the rivers and in the fields. The district’s rich natural environment is a haven for animals, too.

And taking first place was the fact that local residents actively greet people and strike up conversations. Nakamura loves communicating with others, and she was proudest of how local people treat her like a friend. Her story gave us a glimpse of the warm exchanges in the district.

2. A children’s cafeteria that nourishes body and mind

Next to share was Rimi Ohashi.

Ohashi’s third-place pick was the local people who greet the children and look out for them.
She said that all the adults who greet her in the district are people she knows. Ohashi said she loves the wonderful smiles of the local residents.

In second place was Mt. Ashitaka, a short distance from the school.
The cherry blossoms in spring are especially beautiful, and many children visit every year.

Her first-place pick was the children’s cafeteria “Minaminchi”.
As well as serving delicious curry, it offers activities such as nail art experiences during summer vacation. It was clear that these fun activities help build strong connections between the community and its children.

3. A comfortable place to live, with plenty of places to play

The last to share was Ryonosuke Gonda.

In third place was easy-to-understand place names. He said that names such as Nishitomii and Higashitomii make it easy to tell where a place is just by hearing its name.

His second-place pick was the growing number of new roads and shops. The town’s development is surely making life more convenient for children, too.

And in first place was the many parks. Of these, Higashitomii Park, right next to the school, is Gonda’s recommendation. He told us that it has plenty of playground equipment and is a popular place for children to play after school.

The district around Kurashiki Minami Elementary School has plenty of places to play, including mountains and parks, and continues to develop. We hope the children will grow up full of energy, surrounded by the warm support of local residents.

Children’s voices as they look to the future

After hearing all about what makes the school special, we also asked the children about their dreams for the future.

Twenty students took part in the interviews this time.
Their dreams ranged from becoming sports stars they admire to creative careers such as illustration. Some children shared more unusual dreams, like becoming a billionaire or Doraemon. Each dream was unique, and imagining the children’s futures is exciting.

The children’s determination to pursue what they love gave us adults warmth, courage, and inspiration.

Thank you to everyone at Kurashiki Minami Elementary School.