Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
Place: Takao, Tokyo
Participants: 27 campers, 6 care workers,  11 Mirai no Mori staff, 6 sponsors
Sponsor: IHG Hotels & Resorts
Program Partner: Mori to Odoru

Last Saturday in Takao, around 30 campers joined our Autumn Kikori Program, a hands-on activity in the forest, surrounded by shades of yellow, orange and red. A heartfelt thank you to IHG Hotels & Resorts for sponsoring this unique Mirai no Mori program and sending friendly volunteers who got their hands dirty alongside the children. Thank you as well to our long-term partner Mori to Odoru, whose expertise, tools, and guidance continue to inspire campers year after year.

We began our program with orientation and introduced everyone present: camp staff, campers, Leaders In Training (high school students), care workers and sponsor volunteers. We then split into groups for the day, intentionally placing care workers in a separate team as a way for them to enjoy the activity without worrying about their usual responsibilities, thus creating space for them to observe the children in new ways, and bring those empowering memories back to the care homes. 

Each group chose a team leader, created a team name, and practiced team headcounts before receiving the day’s mission from Mori to Odoru. The goal of the day was to make shigarami, intertwining fallen branches and leaves into low, organized barriers. These structures create open and safe walking paths for people and wildlife, help new trees grow by removing obstacles, and prevent fallen branches from spreading during heavy rain.

After receiving tools, including shearing scissors, small saws, gloves, and bear bells, teams headed into the forest! With many participants per group, campers experienced how they can use their different strengths to contribute to team goals. They also practiced kindness by sharing the tools with each other, and leadership in teaching others how to use them safely. After a productive morning, we enjoyed bento lunch under the trees. Some participants sat with their teams, while others mingled with new friends. 

With everyone now familiar with the task, the afternoon session focused on improving technique, such as cutting branches more efficiently, gathering more leafage and arranging them properly into the barriers. Children also made the most of the rare opportunity of being in the forest, finding small living creatures, playing in the dirt and observing the grandness of the tall trees. By the end of the afternoon, we regrouped and celebrated our progress of the day- what had been a cluttered forest floor was now more organized and healthy, ready to support new growth.

We ended the day as always, with reflection. Reflection is one of the ways we support children to slowly practice self-awareness and build a growth mindset. In their groups, campers shared what they were proud of accomplishing, what surprised them during the day, and what they can work on for next time. Many mentioned how confidently they could now use the tools by the end of the day, despite it being scary in the morning.

A huge thank you to IHG Hotels & Resorts for making this program possible on such a perfect autumn day. It was a wonderful opportunity to step away from the rush of city life and create meaningful impact, both in the forest and in the lives of the children we support. And thank you to Mori to Odoru for continuing to guide our campers with expertise and heart every year.

“I was really good at using the shearing scissors and cut more leaves and branches than ever in my life! I made everything really clean so my teammates could easily weave them into the shigarami.” by camper, grade 4

“This was my second Kikori program. I remembered what I learned last time about using the saw, so I taught my team members and helped other teams that didn’t have tools” by camper, grade 1

“I loved sliding down the hill in the forest. It was super long, and I went down five times!” by camper, grade 2

“I came to this program with junior high school campers. It’s a valuable opportunity to see sides of them that they don’t usually show at the care home, and watching them happily share updates and play with familiar staff members as well as adults they met for the first time. These experiences create a very positive environment for adolescents in their teenage years.” by care worker

“It was an inspiring and reenergizing day! I’ve never done this kind of activity in the forest before, and being surrounded by the children’s voices and laughter made it even more special!” by sponsor

“I was impressed to see campers listening attentively and asking questions to  really understand the process of making shigarami, like how to place the branches, how to cut them, and what kinds of leaves to bring.” by camp staff