Nursery World - Outdoors in Japan, Part 4

When urban settings don’t have outside spaces, children in Japan maintain outdoor play and a connection with nature by regularly visiting local parks. By Julie Mountain

Download the PDF of this article

Our study visit to explore risk-taking and resilience outdoors in Japanese kindergartens and daycare centres was inspirational in many ways. We saw exciting practice, demanding landscapes, huge vistas and engaged, committed adults. We saw children interacting with nature, with loose parts, with adults and with one another. However, with more than 90 per cent of the population of Japan living in densely packed cities, not every early years setting has the space for outdoor play.

Childcare is in huge demand – statistics suggest that almost 50,000 children are on childcare waiting lists, and a complicated system of ‘points’ makes accessing state-run Hoikujo wraparound daycare difficult for families that can’t demonstrate two full-time working parents. Yochien – private kindergartens which are typically sessional – are very expensive. Childminders are virtually unheard of – they are known as babysitters or daycare mamas and are mainly for babies, before they start pre-school or kindergarten.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included