This month’s Back to Nature Program featured a hike in Mitake on Saturday and our long-awaited boxing program on Sunday. Saturday’s weather was cloudy and cooler than the previous weeks – perfect for hiking. As usual, the campers split into teams, came up with team names and a headcount, then set off on the trail. Everyone worked up a sweat climbing the first slope, but once in the forest, the cool air and gentle breeze made the hike very pleasant. In the end, everyone made it safely to the riverside, where we had lunch and then enjoyed searching for wildlife and playing in the water. The LITs once again supported the activities. They were already familiar with the flow and tasks, so after a quick check on the timing, they handled everything smoothly on their own. It was great to see how reliable they’ve become.

On Sunday, we invited former professional boxer Hiroyuki Sakamoto for a special boxing program. In the morning, we played team games, and in the afternoon, everyone learned basic boxing moves under Sakamoto san’s guidance. After that, each participant put on gloves and threw punches at the mitts with all their energy and emotion. LITs were in the supporting role and helped with the activities and managed lunch, but they also joined in the boxing experience themselves.

We had only two LITs in this month’s program, but they were very confident and handled all their tasks without any problems. They fully understood how things needed to flow, thought ahead about what to ask staff for, and stayed perfectly coordinated. Their initiative and teamwork were impressive. Their next program is Summer Camp: a four-night, five-day program will have even more complex tasks and responsibilities. It will be a completely different challenge from our usual day programs, testing not only their physical stamina and mental strength to see things through, but also teamwork and communication skills. We’re looking forward to seeing how they come together to achieve their goals at Summer Camp and how far they can push themselves toward their personal goals.