“Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba”Research Organization
What is a better future?
What are the things we want to
leave behind for a long time?
This is an initiative to provide such “hands-on”
environmental education to the next
generation throughout Japan.
(Japanese version only)
What is the
“Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba” ?
It is a council established in August 2017, consisting of businesses that have been certified as “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba” for the purpose of further enhancing experience programs from a private-sector perspective and contributing to the creation of a sustainable society.
- *As of August 2023, the Council is an organizational body of 16 businesses.
It has concluded an agreement with the Ministry of the Environment regarding the expansion and extension of “opportunities for hands-on experience,” and conducts environmental education training for administrative staff as a joint project to promote “hands-on” environmental education. Through the Japan Environmental Education Forum, we also conduct training for leaders of environmental education and learning promotion for teachers and staff, as well as the Green Blue Education Forum Competition(Japanese version only), a video contest for young people.
Certification of
“Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba”
Based on the “Law Concerning the Promotion of Environmental Conservation through Environmental Education, etc. (Law for the Promotion of Environmental Education, etc.),” this is a system whereby prefectural governors, etc. certify facilities and land provided by companies, NPOs, and other organizations as “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba ”.
- For details, please click here.
- ＃4 制度紹介 環境省「体験の機会の場～SDGs実現に向けた環境教育～」（Youtube）
- We also provide Support and Advisory Services for Environmental Education.
- Click here for details
Spreading Nationwide Circle
of Environmental Education
Member Companies/
Organizations and Initiatives
Here are some of our members
(companies and organizations)
that provide “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba”.
Asahi Techno Co., Ltd.
Imari Komanaki-no-Satoyama
2515 Ookawa-cho Komanaki,Imari City, Saga Prefecture
Asahi Techno Co., Ltd. is a comprehensive construction consulting company dedicated to the motto of “Sincerely addressing the needs of the times and contributing to the community.” They actively engage in initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make valuable contributions to the local community. Among the properties the company manages is “Imari Komanaki-no-Satoyama,” located in Imari City, Saga Prefecture. This site is Kyushu’s first experiential opportunity location, certified under the Environmental Education Promotion Act. The company offers experiential programs for children above elementary school age and their parents, encompassing activities such as foraging for edible wild plants, cultivating shiitake mushrooms, collecting insects, starting fires, and observing wild birds. These programs aim to foster a harmonious connection with nature, nurture creativity, and provide hands-on learning experiences.
Ishizaka Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Kunugi no Mori
Environmental School
1589-2 Kamitome, Miyoshi-machi,Iruma-gun, Saitama Prefecture
Kunugi no Mori Environmental School offers an environment that encourages active thinking and learning. It focuses on industrial waste recycling facilities and the satoyama (managed woodlands), which have cultivated a circular agricultural system since the Edo period.
The school is utilized for elementary school social science field trips, exploratory classes for middle and high school students, and training sessions for university students. By engaging in experiential programs covering topics such as the 3Rs, global warming, industrial structures in society, local culture, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, the school aims to develop individuals who can contribute to creating a sustainable community.
Non-Profit Organization Uenbetsu School
Coca-Cola Environmental House
1-4 Uenbetsu, Kuriyama-cho,Yubari-gun, Hokkaido
The Uenbetsu Elementary School Coca-Cola Environmental House is the oldest two story wooden school building in Hokkaido, which has remained abandoned for ten years since 1998. Since 2010, it has been repurposed as a hub for environmental education and lodging facilities.
The rivers of Kurisama-cho are teeming with diverse aquatic life. From kindergarteners to elementary, middle, high school, and university students are engaging in capturing fish and aquatic insects to learn about their species and ecology, facilitating their understanding of the river ecosystem. During winter, visitors can enjoy snowshoe walks amidst the captivating natural surroundings.
OM Solar Co., Ltd.
Egg of the Earth
4601 Murakushicho, Nishi-ku,Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Specialize in developing and selling products that integrate solar energy utilization with air conditioning systems, intending to create comfortable living spaces while promoting energy efficiency.
In 2004, their headquarters was completed, situated on a 32,700-square-meter plot along Lake Hamana in Shizuoka Prefecture’s Hamamatsu City, harnessing the power of natural energy. They offer educational courses focused on environmental learning, emphasizing energy and lifestyle topics, and provide opportunities for nature observation. Their dedicated efforts include tree planting and nurturing activities to revitalize the lakeside area. To date, they have warmly welcomed over 10,000 visitors to their premises.
OGAWA ECONOS Co., Ltd.,
Honmachi Factory
530-85 Motoyama-cho, Fuchu City,Hiroshima Prefecture
OGAWA ECONOS Co., Ltd., based in Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture, is committed to being an environmentally conscious and people-centric company. They aim to contribute to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by conducting responsible and high-quality business activities and engaging in social initiatives.
They organize educational programs centered around the “See, Do, Think” concept (ECONOS SEED Project), which encompasses factory tours, outreach lessons, dismantling experiences of household appliances, and agricultural activities.
These immersive experiences aim to foster individuals who actively advocate for environmental preservation in their communities and beyond.
Kayama Kogyo Co., Ltd.
Toyokawa Headquater Ichida Plant and KAYAMA Farm
67 Minamichigiri 2-chome,Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture
Kayama Kogyo provides educational recycling tours that center around “common waste” in our daily lives. During these tours, participants can witness the dismantling of items like computers and mobile phones, crushing various cables and cords, and the disposal process for decommissioned solar panels. Participants can reflect on and learn about recycling by experiencing a close-up view of the components containing metals, stripped copper wires, and crushed glass particles. This firsthand understanding of the destiny of used products in our environment becomes a valuable catalyst for recognizing the significance of resource circulation.
Kiyosato Educational
Experiment Project
(KEEP) Association
Kiyosato, Takane-cho, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Since 1984, they have been actively engaged in experiential environmental education, primarily centered around forests, aiming to foster a sustainable society. Their programs go beyond mere knowledge transmission, encouraging participants to connect actively and appreciate nature’s beauty and significance through sensory experiences. They embrace the principles of “interpretation” and “experiential learning methods” to ensure that the insights and discoveries gained during these experiences translate into practical actions in participants’ everyday lives. Additionally, the association offers accommodation facilities and environmental education centers, providing a comprehensive framework for conducting impactful ecological education initiatives.
Kyoto Environmental Conservation Corporation
Fushimi Environmental Conservation Center
126 Yokooji Senryomatsu-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Since July 1974, the Kyoto Environmental Conservation Corporation has been actively involved in the collection, transportation, incineration, and recycling of industrial waste in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City. They offer visitors the unique opportunity to closely observe our industrial waste treatment facilities, including waste-to-energy plants, expanded polystyrene recycling factories, and solid fuel manufacturing plants. These guided tours provide participants with valuable insights into the recycling process, where waste is transformed into valuable resources. Additionally, visitors can witness our incinerators’ efficient utilization of heat energy. Kyoto Environmental Conservation Corporation invites you to visit their facility and experience an informative guided tour.
Sanden Co., Ltd.
Sanden Forest
7 Nakanosawa, Kasukawa-machi,Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture
Sanden Forest, nestled in the southern foothills of Mount Akagi in Gunma Prefecture at an elevation of 480m, is dedicated to being an environmentally conscious factory. Alongside manufacturing vending machines, it actively participates in ecosystem restoration and preserving local rural environments. Serving as a hub for environmental education programs, it plays a vital role in promoting the utilization of green spaces and contributing to the local community. With a committed team, they work hand in hand with local human resources and authorities to maintain the educational grounds and develop and implement engaging programs.
Soai Co., Ltd.
266-2 Shigekura, Kochi City,Kochi Prefecture
Soai Co., Ltd., a company based in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, specializes in geological surveys, surveying, landslide countermeasures, regional planning, and various biological surveys, among other areas. In addition to their core expertise, they have also leveraged their extensive knowledge of biology and experience in regional planning to actively participate in initiatives such as environmental learning sessions, off-site classes, and eco-tourism projects. As part of our commitment to experiential learning, they regularly organize nature-based activities within our approximately 1.4-hectare premises, providing valuable opportunities for hands-on learning.
Chutoku Group,
Chutoku Holdings Co., Ltd.
3034-1 Kume, Shunan City,Yaguchi Prefecture
Chutoku Group is committed to tackling social issues with a primary emphasis on environmental business, guided by the principle of “Enriching lives through a transformative approach to living environments.” As part of their endeavors, they provide programs that foster a more profound comprehension of food waste by offering hands-on feeding experiences with ostriches. Additionally, they provide educational programs that raise awareness about environmental concerns by creating crafts using materials found along the coast. Their ultimate objective is to preserve the environment for future generations and establish a universally livable society.
Nakadai Co., Ltd.
Mono: Factory
1424-5 Komagata-machi, Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture
Nakadai Co., Ltd. manages a factory that processes approximately 60 tons of waste every day, achieving a reuse and recycling rate of over 99% for the waste handled. Furthermore, the company operates a showroom that features “social materials” originating from waste, offering valuable perspectives on the present environmental landscape. The showroom provides an enjoyable educational opportunity to learn about recycling and the principles of a circular economy.
Visitors can participate in factory tours, observe recycling processes up close, and engage in training workshops that utilize these social materials.
Ecosystem Conservation
Society-Japan
“Mori-no-boen”
A New Concept Cemetery that Restores Natural Forests
815-2 Ichinono, Chonan-machi,Chosei-gun, Chiba Prefecture
Mori-no-boen is a new concept cemetery that opened in 2016 with the aim of restoring a natural forest in a gravel mining site over a 50-year period. It satisfies people’s demands to burial today, such as a wish to reduce costs, a wish not to burden descendants with management, a wish to bury pets together, and a wish to return to the earth.
The central part of the cemetery is for the family of the deceased and friends, but other parts and the surrounding forest are open to everyone for experiencing tree planting and contacting with nature. Mori-no-boen is a lively cemetery that creates habitats for a lot of wildlife.
Fuji Clean Co., Ltd.
Recycle Center
133-2 Urayasu Honmachi,Minami-ku, Okayama City
The group is dedicated to recycling and actively participates in experiential environmental education programs that utilize recycling sites. They engage in various activities, including building demolition and industrial waste disposal, to raise awareness and promote behavioral changes prioritizing the conservation of Earth’s resources. Their environmental education initiatives encompass tours of recycling centers, workshops on creating moss balls using recycled materials, courses on SDGs and industrial waste, and collaborative SDGs awareness events involving various stakeholders.
Honda Mobilityland Corporation
Mobility Resort Motegi
120-1 Hiyama, Mogi-cho,Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture
Hello Woods, a “place for play and learning” established in the summer of 2000, remains dedicated to the motto of “Children’s Energy and Forest’s Vitality.” They provide a range of activities, including week-long and month-long children’s camps, SDG’s Cast Walks for school groups, hands-on crafting utilizing sustainably-sourced wood from the forest, and forest development workshops encouraging participants to collaborate in forest maintenance.
The Foundation for
Environmental Rehabilitation
and Redevelopment of Mizushima
Asagao Gallery, Mizushima Information and Exchange Center
11-12 Mizushima Higasi Sakae-machi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Mizushima is a town that embodies modernity, encompassing a history shaped by land reclamation, water disasters, river enhancements, wartime industries, development, air raids, and the establishment of petrochemical complexes due to the transition from coal to oil. Within Mizushima, a significant pollution lawsuit called the Kurashiki Pollution Lawsuit (1983-1996) emerged, focusing on air pollution from the petrochemical complex. As part of the settlement, the plaintiffs decided to allocate the settlement funds towards the town’s environmental revitalization efforts, culminating in the establishing of the Mizushima Information and Exchange Center in 2022. The center’s primary purpose is to preserve and disseminate materials associated with the Kurashiki Pollution Lawsuit while simultaneously serving as a space that values diverse perspectives and fosters meaningful dialogue.
Our Activities
We would like to introduce some of our activities
to help ensure a better future for future generations.
- Ministry of the Environment: “Places of Opportunity for Experience - Environmental Education for the Realisation of the SDGs” concept movie (YouTube)(Japanese version only)
- Promotional movie: “Let’s go to the ’Place of Opportunity for Experience’! Let’s try it!” (Released on 30 March 2022)(Japanese version only)
Next Generation Leader Development and Training Program
Training for Leaders of Environmental Education and Learning Promotion for Teachers and Staff (Ministry of the Environment-sponsored program)
Project Objective
The purpose of this training course is to develop human resources who will become leaders in practicing and promoting high-quality environmental education and ESD in schools and communities through collaboration and co-creation for building a sustainable society and mutually refine the shared global future values of the SDGs.
Of the two courses, the “Program Design Course” will be conducted in collaboration with the “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba” Research Institute, which was established under the Environmental Education Promotion Act to improve the quality of hands-on environmental education and to develop professional human resources. Students will experience the relationship between environmental education and ESD and efforts to build a sustainable society using all five senses, and learn about perspectives and interactive communication for planning and implementing experiential activities while sharing empathy with diverse actors.
- Ministry of the Environment Press Release Program Details(Japanese version only)
- Environmental Education Forum Program Registration(Japanese version only)
Support and Advisory Services for Environmental Education
The CIPP combines the wisdom, skills, and know-how of certified businesses to provide a variety of professional and outstanding services related to environmental education to governments, companies, organizations, and schools.
- Support for businesses seeking certification as a "Place of Opportunity for Experience
- Training programs related to environmental education for employees and staff of companies, organizations, etc.
- Dispatch of lecturers and seminar instructors to companies, organizations, and schools
- Training programs to develop leaders within organizations to promote ESG, CSR, and SDGs
- Planning and operation of events such as symposiums on environmental education
- Other consultation services related to environmental education
Nature Experience Promotion Project
Project to promote nature experience activities for children for their sound development of mind and body (project commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2020).
- Click here for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s special page for promoting hands-on activities.(Japanese version only)
Project Objective
The decrease in outdoor activities due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection in 2020 and a sense of anxiety about unknown infectious diseases may have a negative impact on children’s growth. Therefore, this project was commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) with the aim of breaking through the sense of stagnation in the environment surrounding children and to restore children’s energy and promote their healthy growth by developing nationwide efforts to enhance hands-on activities in nature, while paying sufficient attention to the infection situation in each region and to prevention of infection.
Event Outline
| Organization | Name of Program | Number of times held | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ishizaka The Oak Woods Environment School |
Bingo & Leaf litter art, etc. | Total 20 times | Saitama prefecture |
| Keep Association | Become a master of the forest! | Total 10 times | Yamanashi prefecture |
| Sanden Co., Ltd. - Sanden Forest |
Let’s create a secret base for everyone | Total 7 times | Gunma prefecture |
| Soai Co., Ltd. | Wreath making experience | Total 7 times | Kōchi prefecture |
| Chutoku Group, Chutoku Holdings Co., Ltd. |
icking up marine debris, art craft, Release of young fish |
Total 5 times | Yamaguchi prefecture |
- Research Institute for “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba”, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Commissioned Project For details of the program, click here.(Japanese version only)
Questionnaire for parents who participated in the nature experience activities in this project
We surveyed and analyzed the parents of children who participated in this project regarding their satisfaction with the nature experience activity program, the reasons (needs) that led them to participate in the program, the response of the staff, and the desired price if the program were to charge a fee.
Green Blue
Education Forum
The Green Blue Education Forum is a division of the Institute for Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba, which promotes the spread and awareness of “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba”. It is comprised of organizations certified as “Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba” under the Law for the Promotion of Environmental Education, as well as companies and organizations that sympathize with and support the philosophy of hands-on environmental education.
GREEN BLUE
EDUCATION FORUM
Competition
This is a presentation competition to support the viewpoints and ideas necessary to create a sustainable society for children. We hold a competition as a platform where young individuals, who will carry the future, can experience the joy of voluntarily and independently seeking challenges, learning, thinking, and communicating, all to eliminate inequalities with future generations.
What children consider is the “environment they want to protect and preserve” and “the future they want to create”?
We will share the viewpoints necessary for the creation of a sustainable society, and discover and nurture leaders who will play an active role by acquiring the powers of imagination, thinking, judgment, expression, and empathy.
- 第3回GBEFコンクール表彰式典（Youtube）(Japanese version only)
- 第3回GBEFと同時開催したシンポジウム（Youtube）(Japanese version only)
- 第2回GBEFコンクール オンラインフォーラム（Youtube）(Japanese version only)
- 第2回GBEFコンクール 最終プレゼンテーション大会（Youtube）(Japanese version only)
(This Youtube video is japanese version only)
GBEF Website
(Japanese version only)
Outline
Purpose of Establishment
“Taiken-no-Kikai-no-Ba” Research Organization is a council established by operators who have been accredited by prefectures (government-designated cities) as ’Places of opportunity for experience’ under the Law on the Promotion of Environmental Education, etc., with the aim of improving the quality of hands-on environmental education (Education for Sustainable Development) and developing professional human resources.
Agreement with the Ministry of the Environment
An agreement was signed with the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) on 26 October 2017. The Council will work with MoE to expand and increase the number of ’Places of Opportunity for Experience’ through collaborative projects with MoE. Click here for press release on the signing of the agreement.
Contents of the agreement
- Collection of good practices in Japan and abroad.
- Development of various experience programmes and verification of their effectiveness through practices.
- Planning and implementation of opportunities for cross-referencing among relevant parties.
- Implementation of dissemination and awareness-raising activities for private organisations, etc. to promote applications for certification.
- Cooperation in planning and implementing programmes to develop human resources for regional promotion.
- Press release: release of the concept film “Places of Opportunity for Experience - Environmental Education for Realising the SDGs”.(Japanese version only)
- Ministry of the Environment: “Places of Opportunity for Experience - Environmental Education for the Realisation of the SDGs” concept movie (YouTube)(Japanese version only)
- Promotional movie: “Let’s go to the ’Place of Opportunity for Experience’! Let’s try it!” (Released on 30 March 2022)(Japanese version only)
Date of establishment
9 August 2017
Board members
| Chairperson | Noriko Ishizaka (Ishizaka Inc, Ltd.) |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Yutaka Kumagai (Ishizaka Inc, Ltd.) |
| Secretary | Kaoru Shibasaki (Sanden Corporation) |
| Secretary | Shinichi Tabata (Kayama Kogyo Co., Ltd.) |
| Auditor | Akiko Ono (Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP) Foundation) |
Secretariat: Ishizaka Inc, Ltd.
Activities
| 10 Feb. 2023 |
Teachers and other staff training for leaders of environmental education and learning promotion in the fiscal year 2007 “Programme Design Course” “Examining the effectiveness of ‘hands-on’ environmental education through case studies”, held at Ishizaka Inc. (Miyoshi-cho, Saitama Prefecture). |
|---|---|
| 20 Jan. 2023 |
Teachers and other staff training for environmental education/learning promotion leaders in FY2022 “Programme Design Course” “Towards the realisation of environmental education in collaboration”, held at Kayama Kogyo (Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture). |
| 12 Jan. 2023 |
Teachers and other staff training for environmental education and learning promotion leaders: “Programme Design Course”, “Creating a Sustainable Forest”, held at Mobility Resort Motegi (Motegi-machi, Tochigi Prefecture). |
| 14 Dec. 2022 |
Teachers and other staff training for environmental education and learning promotion leaders: “Programme Design Course”, “Creating programmes using Sanden Forest”, held at Sanden Forest (Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture). |
| 9 Nov. 2022 |
Teachers and other staff training for environmental education and learning promotion leaders: “Programme Design Course”, “Environmental education activities in collaboration with local communities, schools and administration” - learning that combines ‘seeing, doing and thinking’ - held at OGAWA ECONOS (Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture). |
| 19 Oct. 2022 |
Teachers and other environmental education/learning promotion leader training for the year ending March 2013 “Programme Design Course” “Craft Art Using Beach Flotsam” held at Naka Special Holdings (Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture). |
| 18 Mar. 2021 |
Academic year training for leaders of environmental education and learning promotion for teaching staff and others: “Programme Design Course” “Observation of industrial waste recycling” - Environmental education to conserve the earth’s resources - held at Fuji Clean (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture). |
| 11 Mar. 2021 |
Teachers, etc. Environmental education and learning promotion leader development training for fiscal 2021 “Programme design course” “Aiming at coexistence with nature” - Hometown nature experience education making the most of local nature - held at Amembetsu School (Kuriyama-cho, Hokkaido). |
Enquiries.
Secretariat of the “Taiken no Kikai no Ba” Research Organization
Address: 1589-2, Kamitomi, Miyoshi-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 354-0045, JapanTelephone number: 049-259-5800
Fax number: 049-259-7636
Enquiries by e-mail