There is an activity called Tokyo Coffee, where parents of children who find it difficult to go to school or have chosen not to attend gather together.
From the name, you might think it’s a cafe in Tokyo, but it isn’t.
There are activity hubs across Japan, and their activities vary widely: making miso, having bonfires outdoors, enjoying DIY projects and gardening, and more.
So what exactly is “Tokyo Coffee”?
We’ll introduce the purpose of the activity and its hub in Kojima, Kurashiki City.
The information presented here is current as of when this article was published in July 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is Tokyo Coffee?
Tokyo Coffee was launched by Takashi Yoshida, representative of Atelier e.f.t in Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture.
It is an activity for adults, led by the parents and guardians of children who find it difficult to go to school or have chosen not to attend.
Not School Nonattendance, but School Refusal
According to figures announced by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for fiscal 2022, the number of students not attending school in fiscal 2021 was approximately 240,000, a record high. The number has risen for nine consecutive years since fiscal 2012.
The increase from fiscal 2020 was approximately 50,000, far exceeding the increase of approximately 15,000 from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2020.
“Could the continuing rise in school nonattendance be not a problem with the children, but because adults do not understand what children are telling them?”
Tokyo Coffee began with an insight by its initiator, Takashi Yoshida.
“Tokyo Coffee” is an anagram of “school refusal” in Japanese—a wordplay created by rearranging the characters.
From the official TOKYO COFFEE website
In response to the actions of approximately 410,000 children across Japan who are absent from school for extended periods,
we consider and learn about education from the perspective that “the problem is not children’s school nonattendance, but adults’ lack of understanding.”
It is also a movement to replace and update the education system, which has continued since the postwar period and standardizes children.
Regarding the wording in the quotation
・Approximately 410,000 children “absent for extended periods”
According to the “Results of the Survey on Student Guidance Issues, Including Problematic Behavior and School Nonattendance, for Fiscal 2021,” 413,750 elementary and junior high school students were absent for extended periods (an increase of approximately 130,000 from the previous year).
Of these, 244,940 elementary and junior high school students were not attending school, excluding those absent due to illness, financial reasons, or avoidance of COVID-19 infection (an increase of approximately 50,000 from the previous year).
The name Tokyo Coffee uses the term “school refusal” because the activity views school nonattendance as a cry for help from children and seeks to address it as an issue for adults.
Features of Tokyo Coffee
Tokyo Coffee aims to spark a nationwide movement in which adults update their values and ways of thinking, bringing a fresh perspective to education.
Since activities began in August 2022, 261 hubs have been established across Japan by organizers who support the purpose of the initiative (as of June 2023, including hubs in preparation).
Since organizers decide the activities and how often they take place, each hub has its own distinctive character.
There is, however, just one condition for the activities.
They must be activities for adults to enjoy.
What happens when adults enjoy themselves?
Updating Education by Updating Adults: The World’s Most Enjoyable Revolution
For many people of a generation who grew up believing that going to school was a given, the anxiety and worry that arise when a child does not go to school can be considerable.
Even after trying to understand your own child, you may not see a way forward, or discussions with the school may reach an impasse.
Children, too, may feel uncomfortable both at school and at home, and become overwhelmed.
An unexpected source offered a hint for preventing both parents or guardians and children from becoming dispirited and withdrawing at home.
That hint is “adults enjoying themselves.”
It is said that when children see adults enjoying themselves, sometimes relaxing and sometimes absorbed in activities, they become able to take part in activities on their own, without anyone telling them what to do.
From the official TOKYO COFFEE website
- Children spend their time there freely. Since it is a place for adults’ activities, children can do whatever they like. First, they can build confidence and motivation in a safe place where nothing is forced on them.
- When children eventually want to take the initiative and do something, support them!
- Education is about not getting in the way of children’s growth!
With “security and confidence” and “motivation,” you can learn from anything!
When children spend time freely in a place where they feel safe, the adults who see them gain new insights.
By talking with trusted companions in the same activity space and watching over the children, adults have an opportunity to reflect on their values around parenting and the nature of education.
- Establish more than 500 hubs nationwide where adults can take part in lively activities and learn together
- At hubs across Japan, children’s individuality is respected and they can spend time feeling safe
- Through everyone’s activities, spark a movement to advance school education
Taking children’s school nonattendance seriously as an issue for adults, while adults themselves enjoy life and continue to grow.
Tokyo Coffee describes this activity, which aims to bring education along on that journey, as “the world’s most enjoyable revolution.”
We spoke with Yuka Seita, an organizer of activities in Kojima, Kurashiki City, who supports Takashi Yoshida’s call.
Tokyo Coffee No. 80: Information on Kojima, Kurashiki City
| Name | Tokyo Coffee No. 80: Kojima, Kurashiki City |
|---|---|
| Held | Approximately once a month Held irregularly Please check Instagram for activity announcements |
| Location | Kojima, Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Adults: 1,000 yen Children: 500 yen *May vary depending on the activity. |
| Website | Instagram: tokyo_coffee_no.80 |
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