Forest Kindergartens: Japan's Outdoor Early Education Movement

Prefectures across Japan now certify nursery schools and kindergartens that spend real hours outdoors, and the numbers keep growing.

Published October 26, 2026 at 12:27 PM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Japan's outdoor early education movement has moved from small parent-run groups into official prefectural certification. Nagano Prefecture started the best-known system in April 2015 and, according to its October 2026 announcement, now lists 324 certified facilities across 50 municipalities. Certified programs must meet set outdoor hours, safety and staffing standards, so families can compare nature-based options with confidence.

Many parents hear the phrase forest kindergarten and picture children playing under trees all day, but in Japan the idea has become more structured than that. Local governments have written down what counts as nature-based childcare, how many hours children should spend outdoors and what safety steps must be in place. This guide explains the movement, how the Nagano and other prefectural systems work, what a certified day can look like, and how visitors and newcomers can approach the topic. It focuses on the current certification trend rather than the general idea of forest schools.

What a forest kindergarten means in Japan

A forest kindergarten, called mori no yochien in Japanese, is an early education or childcare setting where children spend much of their time in woods, fields, rivers or parks. The idea is usually traced to Denmark in the early 1950s, where a parent named Ella Flautau began taking children to a nearby forest, and it later grew strongly in Germany, where the first forest kindergarten was officially recognized as daycare in 1993. Japan adopted the concept and adapted it to its own landscape of mountains, satoyama (the managed woodland and farmland that sits between villages and mountains) and coastlines.

In Japan the term now sits inside a wider family of words. Government pages often use shizen hoiku, meaning nature-based childcare, as the umbrella label. It covers small parent-run groups that meet in a forest, but also ordinary licensed nursery schools and kindergartens that add regular outdoor programs to the week. That wide definition is why certification systems matter: they give the label a measurable meaning.

Why prefectures began certifying nature childcare

Prefectures introduced certification so that parents could tell the difference between a program that visits a park once a month and one built around the outdoors. Hiroshima Prefecture describes its goal as making nature-based childcare easier for parents to see as a real choice, while also hoping to attract families and support regional revitalization. Nagano Prefecture ties its system to its aim of being a leading prefecture for child-rearing.

Rural prefectures have a particular interest. Nagano, for example, is described in its own materials as the fourth-largest prefecture by area, with around 80 percent of its land covered in forest. Programs that use that landscape give families a reason to settle in smaller communities, and they give local childcare workers a distinctive field to work in. Official announcements in recent years have even paired nature childcare with seminars aimed at attracting new childcare staff to the region.

How Nagano's certification system works

Nagano's Shinshu-type Nature Childcare system, nicknamed Shinshu Yama-ho-iku, began on April 1, 2015, and has two types. The specialized type is for programs where nature activity is central, and the general type is for programs that actively include nature activity alongside their usual curriculum. Both types have to meet a list of 24 criteria, covering things such as outdoor hours, safety management and staff qualifications.

The headline requirement is time outdoors. For children aged three and over, the prefecture's implementation rules call for at least 15 hours a week of outdoor experience for the specialized type and at least 5 hours a week for the general type, with long holidays excluded. Programs also need monthly activity plans and access to a site beyond the ordinary playground, where nature activity gets priority.

Safety standards are written into the system as well. The rules ask for a written outdoor safety manual, emergency procedures, contact arrangements with doctors and emergency services, a way to reach parents, and suitable insurance. At least half of all staff must hold a recognized childcare or teaching qualification, and the specialized type adds requirements for nature-leading experience and recent safety training.

The latest numbers from Nagano

Nagano's own announcement shows steady growth. According to a prefectural press release dated October 1, 2026, twelve more facilities were newly certified, two of the specialized type and ten of the general type. The prefecture reported a total of 324 certified facilities as of that date, spread across 50 municipalities, with a small number holding both types of certification.

The new group was mixed, which says something about where the movement is heading. It included seven nursery schools, two combined kindergarten-nursery centers, one kindergarten and two unlicensed childcare facilities. In other words, the model is no longer limited to small independent groups: mainstream licensed facilities are choosing to adopt it. An earlier prefectural document that described the system's launch listed 210 certified facilities, so the total has grown considerably since then.

Other prefectures with their own systems

Nagano is not alone. Hiroshima Prefecture runs the Hiroshima Nature Childcare Certification System, which it reports covered 85 organizations as of January 1, 2026. It has two categories based on outdoor hours for children around age three: at least 10 hours a week on average for the first, and at least 5 hours a week for the second. Certified groups file an annual activity report and are encouraged to attend safety and quality training.

Tottori Prefecture takes a different approach with its Mori Satoyama certification, which sets out a more intensive model. Its guidelines describe programs for children aged 2 to 5, with roughly four hours of activity a day, at least three days a week in natural fields, and small classes with a minimum of two caregivers. Because each prefecture sets its own standards, the label means slightly different things in different places, and parents are best off reading the local criteria.

What a day outdoors can look like

Certified programs vary, but a typical pattern is simple: children gather at a base, head out to a nearby natural field, play, explore and return. Activities often follow the seasons, such as collecting fallen leaves in autumn, playing in snow in winter or exploring streams in summer. Teachers act as guides and safety watchers rather than lecturers, and children are given time for free play.

Practical preparation matters. Families may be asked to provide weather-appropriate clothing, sturdy shoes, hats and a change of clothes, and programs may have their own rules for heavy rain, extreme heat or cold. Because details differ by facility, parents should ask each program about its daily routine, its bad-weather plan and its staffing before signing up.

How visitors and newcomers can approach this

Short-term visitors usually cannot join a certified program, since these are childcare and education services for enrolled children. Families who relocate to a region with a certified facility, however, may find the label useful when comparing options, in the same way that other families look at curriculum or class size. Prefecture websites generally list certified facilities, and the lists are updated as new ones are added.

Language is the practical hurdle. Most official certification pages are in Japanese, so newcomers may want to use a translation tool or ask the city office for help. Municipal childcare counters can explain how licensed nursery schools, kindergartens and unlicensed facilities differ, how fees work and what the enrollment calendar looks like. Always confirm current details with the facility and the local government before planning around them.

How the movement connects to wider Japanese ideas

The movement draws on long-standing Japanese attitudes toward seasons and nature. Seasonal awareness shows up everywhere in daily life, from school songs to festivals, and outdoor programs let young children meet those seasons directly. The focus on group life and cooperation also fits familiar Japanese early education themes, where children learn through shared routines and play with peers.

It also connects to ideas of independence. Children who dress themselves for the weather, carry their own bags and manage small risks are practicing the kind of self-reliance that Japanese parenting often highlights. Nature-based programs give those habits a natural setting, which is part of why the model has attracted attention both inside Japan and from educators abroad.

A short wrap-up

Japan's forest kindergarten movement is best understood as a growing set of certified, measurable programs. Nagano's total of 324 certified facilities, Hiroshima's 85 and Tottori's intensive model show that local governments see real value in outdoor early education. For families, the most useful step is to check the criteria used by their own prefecture and talk to individual facilities. For anyone curious about Japanese childhood, the trend offers a warm look at how mountains, rivers and woodlands are being woven into early learning.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Parenting Secrets That Create Calm, Independent Children is available on Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a forest kindergarten and a nature childcare program in Japan?

A forest kindergarten is usually a program where outdoor time is the core of the day, often run by a small group. Nature childcare is the broader official term and also covers regular nursery schools and kindergartens that add several hours of outdoor activity each week. Prefectural certification systems use the broader term and set minimum hours.

How many certified nature childcare facilities does Nagano have?

According to a Nagano Prefecture press release dated October 1, 2026, the prefecture has 324 certified facilities in 50 municipalities. Twelve were newly certified at that point, two of the specialized type and ten of the general type. Counts change as new facilities are added, so check the prefecture's current list.

Can visiting families join a forest kindergarten in Japan?

Certified programs are childcare and early education services for enrolled children, so short-term visitors generally cannot join them. Families who move to a region may be able to apply through the local childcare system or directly to a facility, depending on the type. The city office or the facility itself can explain availability, fees and requirements.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Mori no Yochien: Japan's Forest Kindergartens, Yochien: How Japanese Kindergartens Differ From Daycare and Nintei Kodomoen: Japan's Hybrid Early Childhood Centers.