Steiner Education to Develop Individuality, Drawing Worldwide Attention with Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window A children's school in Tokyo that uses the same educational methods as Tomoe Gakuen, Online Information Session in July

With Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's autobiography "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window" becoming a worldwide hit, Steiner education, which shares the same educational philosophy as that of Tomoe Gakuen, which nurtured Totto-chan in a relaxed manner, is attracting attention. Takanawa Steiner Kodomoen (operated by Kodomo to Kurashi Co., Ltd.; head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; representative: Sachiko Akagawa), a children's school in Minato-ku, Tokyo that practices Steiner education, will begin holding information sessions for enrollment in the 2025 school year.

Filled with curiosity and a sense of adventure

The school is a Steiner school, where Totto-chan also studied.

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's autobiography "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window", which depicts children growing up in a free school culture, has been a huge hit since its release in 1981, and its sequel, "Sequel to Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window," was released in 2023 and was also made into an anime movie. On June 1, 2024, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi visited China, where her autobiography has twice the circulation of Japan's and is included in textbooks, to meet with readers and fans. Furthermore, on June 16, an animated film won a special award in France at one of the world's largest animation film festivals.

When asked in an interview what Tomoe Gakuen was like for her, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi said, "It is the place that made my life. The Steiner education at Tomoe Gakuen, which "doesn't pigeonhole the child and doesn't intervene too much in the child's world," is now attracting attention.

The only Steiner school in central Tokyo, Tomoe Gakuen is a "play with all your children!

The only Steiner childcare center in central Tokyo

While there are approximately 40,000 daycare centers and other related facilities in Japan, only about 70 are Steiner nursery schools and kindergartens. Most of the Steiner preschools, which value upbringing in nature, are located in the suburbs, and the only Steiner preschools in central Tokyo are the Takanawa and Hiroo Steiner Preschools.

For the children attending the preschool, their homeroom teachers are like their mothers at home during the day. Cooking with their mothers, cleaning with brooms and dustcloths, making dried plums and miso paste, and other activities based on the activities of daily life. Sensitivity is nurtured through time spent immersed in the beautiful, pale colors of watercolor, time spent moving the body in time with songs and words, and time spent in story time where the teacher memorizes and tells us folktales and Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Rainy walks, mud play, tree climbing, mountain slides, and other dynamic activities that allow children to enjoy nature with their whole bodies will make you forget that you are in the heart of Tokyo. Just as the principal of Tomoe Gakuen told the parents in "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window," we tell them to dress their children in clothes that will not interfere with their playtime.

A moment of Nijimi-e (watercolor painting)

Lunch at the big round table

Accumulating plenty of play experience in early childhood.

A parent of a graduate commented, "I became an elementary school student in the Corona disaster and was restricted in many things, but I was able to say, 'There are things I can't do at school, but I'm okay because I've been having fun at the Steiner Children's School! I still remember the look on his face when he said that. I still remember the look on his face when he said, "When I first entered the preschool, I wondered if it would be all right to not even teach Aiueo. "When he first entered kindergarten, I wondered if it would be all right to not even teach him Aiueo, but his first class at elementary school was fresh and he felt that studying was fun. Now they are studying at a high pace, and I realize how important it is to accumulate plenty of playful experiences in their early childhood. We have received comments such as the following.

The director of the Takanawa Steiner Children's School said, "One of the characteristics of our school is the strong relationship of trust between the homeroom teachers and the children. As in the book "Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window," the children themselves are the most sensitive to whether or not their teachers approve of them. Our school's childcare system does not need to tell the children what to do or lecture them; rather, we simply watch over them without saying a word. It seems to overlap with the scenery of Tomoe Gakuen. Starting in July, Takanawa Steiner Children's School will hold online information sessions (for 1- and 2-year-old classes and kindergarten class) for children enrolling in the 2025 school year.

Overview of Online Information Sessions

Date and Time: Every Saturday from 21:00 to 23:00 starting July 6, 2024 (Saturday)

Location: Zoom (URL will be provided to those who register)

How to apply: Please reserve a date that is convenient for you by filling out the application form on the following page.

URL : https://lp.ts-kodomoen.jp/

A shelf of toys is also a plaything

Outline of Takanawa Steiner Children's School

Authorized as an unlicensed childcare facility by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The facility is eligible for subsidies related to free early childhood education.

Location ： 4-4-7 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Number of children: 4 (1 year olds), 4 (2 year olds), 5 (3 year olds), 5 (4 year olds), 5 (5 year olds)

Hours of operation: 09:00-15:00 (basic hours), 08:00-17:30 (extended hours)

URL : https://ts-kodomoen.jp