Based on the comprehensive partnership agreement between Hakone Town and Goldwin, the “Kids Summer Camp” was held again in 2026 for elementary school students in grades 3–6, providing 2 nights and 3 days of opportunities to learn through nature experiences and interaction with the local community.
Under their comprehensive partnership agreement, Hakone Town and Goldwin have sponsored the “Hakone Town × Goldwin Kids Summer Camp” since 2022. Set in the Lake Ashi area of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, the camp has provided opportunities for children to experience nature and make new discoveries through a diverse program held over 2 nights and 3 days, including camping, hiking, stargazing classes and yosegi marquetry workshops.
Since the first year, Miura Gota (三浦豪太), Kaneko Mori (金子森) and Kawanishi Taiga (川西大河) have worked as on-site staff, overcoming the difficulties encountered when the program began and strengthening its ties with the local community. In particular, the program has incorporated experiences that make use of local resources, including water safety training at Lake Ashi, visits to the local fishing cooperative and tours of fish farms, encouraging interaction and independence among participants.
In its fifth year, the camp maintained its structure of having equal numbers of children from within and outside the town. As the children searched for insects and observed nature, there were more occasions when participants helped one another and older children watched over those attending for the first time. They increasingly appeared to find confidence and a place where they belonged through play.
Through their experiences in nature, the children increasingly began thinking and acting for themselves, with less intervention from adults. The program’s design, which communicates potential dangers while preserving a degree of freedom, was seen as contributing to the development of the children’s creativity and ability to work together.