Starting in the 2022 school year, “Period for Integrated Inquiry” was introduced at high schools across Japan.
I heard that a cruise created during the Period for Integrated Inquiry by students of Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Kojoike High School and the Mizushima Ferry and Mizushima Residential Environmental Learning Consortium would be operating, so I went aboard myself.
The information presented was accurate at the time this article was published in April 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “Period for Integrated Inquiry”?
The Period for Integrated Inquiry is a new subject introduced at high schools across Japan in the 2022 school year following the 2018 revision of the national curriculum guidelines.
According to the Commentary on the High School Curriculum Guidelines (announced in 2018) issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, its purpose is to develop the following three abilities across the boundaries of subjects and courses.
- Through the inquiry process, acquire the knowledge and skills needed to identify and solve problems, form concepts related to problems, and understand the significance and value of inquiry
- Identify questions through connections between real society and daily life and oneself; set problems independently, gather information, organize and analyze it, and summarize and express findings
- Engage proactively and collaboratively in inquiry, make use of one another’s strengths to create new value, and foster an attitude of striving to realize a better society
Learning in collaboration with local people, as in this Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise, will surely become increasingly important.
Mizushima Industrial Complex Cruise
The Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise was held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, with the cooperation of the Mizushima Residential Environmental Learning Consortium and organized by Mizushima Ferry.
This was a project in collaboration with Kurashiki Kojoike High School’s inquiry-based learning program, with students from the school serving as cruise guides.
The Mizushima Industrial Complex is usually associated with views “from the mountainside,” such as from the Washuzan Skyline. This was a rare opportunity to see it from the sea, with commentary.
A cruise supporting young people’s challenges with the whole community
It had been raining since morning on the day of the cruise, but the forecast called for cloudy skies during the boarding time. Participants brought umbrellas and gathered on the first floor of Mizushima Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway, the meeting point.
A representative of the Mizushima Residential Environmental Learning Consortium explained the purpose of the cruise.
That day, many materials created by people active in the community were distributed, including a Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise pamphlet made by Kurashiki Kojoike High School students and a barbecue map created by Mizushima’s Community Revitalization Cooperators.
Afterward, all the participants moved to the Mizushima Port Ferry Waiting Room. After hearing introductions and words of enthusiasm from the Kurashiki Kojoike High School students who would guide the cruise that day, the approximately one-hour cruise began.
Enjoy a cruise aboard a ferry that is rarely available to the public
The vessel used for the cruise is a working boat called a “tsusen.”
This boat transports crew members of vessels sailing at sea or anchored offshore to land.
Mizushima Port, which stretches from the Mizushima area facing the Seto Inland Sea to the Tamashima area, is one of Japan’s leading international trade ports, with 21 regular routes to destinations including China and Vietnam. This was a rare opportunity to board a working boat that connects the people working on those ships with the shore.
The cabin is small, so most participants go out onto the deck to enjoy the cruise.
A cruise guided by high school students showcasing what they have learned
The highlight of the Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise is the commentary on the complex by Kurashiki Kojoike High School students.
The students of Kojoike High School developed this commentary through trial and error over a year of study in the Period for Integrated Inquiry.
They said they worked together on the learning program with the Mizushima Stay-Based Environmental Learning Consortium, the organization that helped with this cruise.
They explained not only the characteristics of the companies and factories that make up the Mizushima Industrial Complex, but also more in-depth topics, such as how each company operates its factories with consideration for the environment.
It was impressive to see the participants eagerly taking notes in response to what the students were teaching them.
A cruise to see the Mizushima Industrial Complex from the water
The Mizushima Industrial Complex is also known as a spectacular spot, having been selected as one of the 100 Best Night Views in Japan.
The highlight of a Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise is being able to look up at the scenery from the water—a view of the complex that people usually see from land, such as from the Washuzan Skyline or Tsusen-en Garden.
The participants were so captivated by the unusual scenery that they couldn’t stop taking photos with their smartphones and cameras.
In particular, the new cars parked along the quay awaiting shipment and the rows of tugboats (which serve as harbor pilots, help vessels change direction, and act as a maritime base for disaster prevention) are sights you can see only from the water.
I was thrilled by my first Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise and took nearly 300 photos during the roughly one-hour trip.
Since the boat is always moving and there are constant photo opportunities, people who enjoy photography are sure to get hooked.
From the Writer
The Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise set off in a light rain, but perhaps thanks to the energetic spirit of the students from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Kojoike High School, it did not rain after departure, and the boat did not rock much either. The one-hour cruise ended safely.
The students who served as guides looked anxious at first, but when the cruise ended and they returned to Mizushima Port, they seemed filled with a sense of accomplishment.
In elementary and junior high schools, it is called “Period for Integrated Studies,” but, as with the high school “Period for Inquiry-Based Cross-Disciplinary Study,” the curriculum is expected to be built around three pillars.
In the future, opportunities for schools and local communities to learn together with children, such as the Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise, will surely become more common.
It was an event that made us feel this was a meaningful cruise that deepened learning for the children, the school, and the local community alike.
Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise guided by students from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Kojoike High School Information
| Name | Mizushima Industrial Complex cruise guided by students from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Kojoike High School |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, March 23, 2024, 4:00–5:45 p.m. |
| Location | In front of the ticket machines on the first floor of Mizushima Station, Mizushima Rinkai Railway |
| Participation fee (tax included) | ¥7,700 |
| Website | Mizushima Stay-Based Environmental Learning Consortium |
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