Date: October 15
Location: Mitake, Tokyo
Participants: 17 campers, 6 care worker, 8 LITs, 8 Mirai no Mori staff, 8 sponsors 
Sponsor: Morgan Stanley

Program:

Despite the weather concerns, we had a hiking program that allowed us to enjoy the various 5 senses, which ranged from a rainy hike to a sunny river play.

We held an orientation, announced our teams and decided on team names. The names were all unique and perfect for today’s program, such as “Hiking Taro” and “Splash Mountain,” in keeping with the hiking and rain theme. Once the teams had improved their team skills through a three-question team quiz, they came up with the values they wanted to work on today. Some campers chose Leadership as the leader, while others chose Responsibility so that they could take good care of their belongings.

After preparing onigiri bentos, bear bells, and this time, rain gear and temperature-controlled clothing, the 4-km hike began! The trail started out steep, and there were times when people were out of breath or there were long gaps in between, but it gradually eased up and everyone got used to it and was able to take on some of the challenges. Among them, there were many campers who were excited when they were taught by the super staff how to play the Yamabiko, a traditional Australian game, and everyone joined in to try it together.

For lunch, we ate onigiri bento on the riverbank, surrounded by the warm sun and the sound of the river. Once we enjoyed the deliciousness of the food when it’s outside with everyone, it was free time for campers to enjoy another fun part of the day. It was impressive to see the sponsors also enjoying playing in the water with the momentum of the campers and LITs. There were many other campers who were looking for creatures, enjoying the sunlight, and playing tag and their individual personalities shone through.

“This was my first hiking trip and it was special because of the rain! I could see many beautiful sceneries with clouds and fog! I can’t wait to come back to Mirai no Mori.” by camper

“I saw some snail and other bugs for the first time when I was hiking! I want to find many more when I come back to Mirai no Mori!!” by camper

“I was very impressed with how most of the campers were splashing around in the water as much as they could!” by camper

“I was a little worried about the camper who joined Mirai no Mori for the first time, because they are still young and small, and they are usually quiet and watch things from the back, but I was very impressed with their active participation in the program. They love bugs and nature, but they don’t usually get the chance to see them, so it was really great to see them come and play in the Mirai no Mori program and see how lively they are!” by care worker

“No matter how old you are, playing in the water is always fun! I had as much fun as I could with the power of the campers.” by sponsor

Thank you to all of our sponsors for a special time in nature!