Last weekend, we held a special hiking event together with families from “LaLaLand nursery school,” operated by our group company. More than 30 YBS families joined us as we set out to reach the summit of Mt. Ogusu, the highest mountain in Yokosuka!!
For children, the hike from the starting point to the summit takes about an hour. Along the trail, the children enjoyed collecting stamps at checkpoints while making their way up the mountain step by step.
Participants from YBS ranged from tiny one-year-olds to energetic middle school students, along with many parents and family members. Some families even took on the challenge while carrying newborn babies!
Although these different age groups do not often interact during regular school life, the experience of facing nature together naturally brought everyone together as “One Team”.
“You can do it!”
“We’re almost there!”
“Be careful, it’s slippery!”
Warm encouragement filled the mountain trail from both children and adults, helping one another during difficult moments.
It sounds simple, but through real challenges in nature, the children were learning what it truly means to care for and support one another.
For many of the younger preschool children, climbing uneven mountain stairs and steep slopes was a huge adventure and an incredible challenge in itself.
The path was long and difficult. At times, some children looked ready to give up. Yet beside them were parents gently encouraging them with words like:
“You’re doing great.”
“It’s okay, you can do it.”
It was deeply moving to see children giving their absolute best in the middle of nature, supported every step of the way by the love and encouragement of their families.
Meanwhile, the middle school students quickly reached the summit with impressive energy. But their challenge did not stop there…
“We’re going to do another round!”
After reaching the top, they immediately set a new goal for themselves and ran back down the mountain to continue.
Inspired by the older students pushing beyond their limits, the elementary students also decided to challenge themselves together.
When we asked them,
“Why do you want to go up so many times?”
they confidently answered,
“We just want to challenge it! I think we could even do it three times!”
The confidence in their eyes was powerful. They had created their own goals and truly believed they could achieve them.
In today’s world, technology continues to make life easier and more convenient. Without realizing it, both children and adults are slowly becoming more distant from “difficult” experiences in daily life.
That is why seeing children excitedly take on the challenge of climbing a mountain felt incredibly powerful and inspiring.
“Giving it our all”
“Supporting one another”
“Challenging themselves beyond the limits they thought they had”
“Experiencing the incredible feeling of saying, “We did it!””
We believe that these kinds of real-life experiences help children grow stronger, kinder, and more confident as they continue taking on new challenges in life.
What a beautiful day and unforgettable experience we all shared together!