At the Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Support School (hereinafter referred to as "Makibi Support School") located in Mabi, Kurashiki City, we value interaction and collaborative activities with the community.
In the vocational course of the high school department, since its opening in the 2014 academic year, students have been making and selling bread in class to help them acquire the skills to work in society.
On July 9 (Wednesday), the second bread sale of the 2025 academic year was held.
What is Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Support School?
Makibi Support School is a prefectural special support school located about 300 meters from Kibinomakibi Station on the Ibara Railway.
It has departments for intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, and as of April 2025 (the 7th year of Reiwa), there are 370 children and students enrolled from elementary to high school.
While the elementary and junior high school departments have designated school districts, students in the high school vocational course can commute from all over Okayama Prefecture.
Bread Sales at Makibi Support School
The bread sales are conducted by students enrolled in the vocational course of the high school department for intellectual disabilities.
The vocational course focuses on vocational education through specialized subjects, aiming for social independence through employment, and is the only program in Okayama Prefecture that manufactures and sells bread.
Makibi Support School was one of the schools affected by the heavy rain in July 2018.
Immediately after the disaster, there were years when the production and sale of bread were suspended for about two years, but it resumed in March 2021, and bread production and sales are now conducted regularly.
The dates for bread sales in the 2025 academic year are as follows:
- May 28 (Wednesday)
- July 9 (Wednesday)
- September 17 (Wednesday)
- November 5 (Wednesday)
- December 10 (Wednesday)
- January 28 (Wednesday)
With the resumption of bread sales, the owner of pain porte in the local Mabi has started to guide the students.
The types of bread that can be produced are increasing daily, and by receiving direct guidance from professionals, authentic flavors are being sold.
July 9, 2025 (Wednesday) Bread Sale Overview
July 9 (Wednesday) was the second bread sale day of the 2025 academic year.
I arrived almost at the scheduled opening time of 11:40 AM, but there was already a long line in front of the entrance, with local people waiting with excited expressions.
In the line waiting for bread sales, vegetables and leather products are also available for purchase
As I walked towards the line, tables were set up parallel to it.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that the tables were lined with vegetables and leather products.
The vocational course of Makibi Support School is divided into three fields:
- Distribution Services
- Food Services
- Environmental Services
The students responsible for this bread sale are from the Food Services field, while the leather products are made by students from the Distribution Services field.
The students growing vegetables are from the high school life course for intellectual disabilities, focusing on social independence through practical learning and life unit learning.
Students are also in charge of traffic control within the school
The students' contributions are not limited to sales.
They also take charge of traffic control for local people entering and exiting the school by car.
Students from various courses within the school collaborated to enhance the "bread sale" day.
Students' activities before opening
As cars continued to enter the school, where the sale of leather products and vegetables was taking place, the students responsible for the bread sale conducted their final checks.
To ensure that they can quickly locate the bread when customers ask for recommendations, they arranged the dozens of types of bread and then checked where each type was located.
After practicing customer service phrases together, they each took their positions and stood by.
With excitement in the air, the first customer entered at 12 PM.
Although there was a long line, only a few customers could enter the store at a time.
This created an environment where students could calmly assist with guidance and checkout.
This was also beneficial for the customers.
As each group finished their checkout, new customers could enter, allowing everyone to carefully look at the bread and choose what they wanted to eat.
Selecting five types of bread carefully and heading to checkout
To ensure that all customers in line receive bread, there may be a limit on the number of items that can be purchased on certain days.
On July 9, 2025 (Wednesday), each person could purchase up to five pieces of bread.
"My family is looking forward to this bread,"
"I plan to share it with my neighbors,"
With happy comments, customers counted their bread on their trays, all purchasing the maximum of five pieces.
Community members, graduates, and parents... the number of customers increases with each event
As I watched the teacher guiding customers to slippers at the entrance, I occasionally saw them enjoying friendly conversations with customers.
Among the customers, there were many graduates who had been involved in bread sales until last year, parents whose children currently attend Makibi Support School, and community members who are involved with the school as volunteers.
According to the teachers, the breakdown of customers is about half graduates and parents who are usually connected to the school, and half local residents.
I spoke to several people, and most were repeat customers, all saying in unison, "With each time, the number of customers is increasing."
Freshly baked bread, let's taste it!
Of course, I also purchased the following five types of bread and baked goods.
The cream bread not only has bread but also fresh custard cream made within Makibi Support School.
The bread dough is chewy, and the cream has just the right sweetness, making it easy to eat.
This anpan has a hidden butter flavor. It's a rich bread that is irresistible for "an butter" lovers.
In addition to bread, I also purchased baked goods.
This is because there is a limit of five pieces for bread, but baked goods can be purchased separately.
The crispy and crumbly sablé was of a quality comparable to that sold in stores.
In Conclusion
Many of the customers I met that day were repeat visitors.
The initial motivation was said to be the desire to "support the children," but after trying the bread once, they decided to return because they wanted to eat it again due to its deliciousness.
As a person with a disability and a former special needs school teacher, I purchased the bread with a supportive feeling, but I was moved by the deliciousness after taking a bite.
These breads were of such high quality that there was no need for reasons like "because people with disabilities are working hard" or "because they are made at a special needs school."
The bread sales at Makibi Support School allow you to enjoy delicious bread while also contributing to the development of students' abilities to work in society. I feel like I might become a regular customer.
Data on the Bread Sales at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Support School
| Name | Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Support School Bread Sales |
|---|---|
| Dates | 【2025 Bread Sale Dates】 May 28 (Wednesday), July 9 (Wednesday), September 17 (Wednesday), November 5 (Wednesday), December 10 (Wednesday), January 28 (Wednesday) 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM |
| Location | 4682-1 Ayata, Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (Tax Included) | Bread sold for 50 to 150 yen |
| Website | Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Support School |
