Before-school morning spaces for elementary pupils start in Kawasaki and Tama wards: Saiwai has had one at Shin-Ogura Elementary since July
Published
Translated from Japanese. If anything differs, the Japanese version is correct.
Key points 30-second read
- The Kawasaki City Board of Education will start its "morning place" pilot, which looks after children at school before classes begin, at Noborito Elementary in Tama Ward (from Oct 28, 2026) and Kawasaki Elementary in Kawasaki Ward (from Nov 16).
- In Saiwai Ward, it already started at Shin-Ogura Elementary on Monday, Jul 6, 2026. With these two schools, all seven wards in the city now have a pilot school.
- It is open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to around 8:10 a.m., and any pupil at the school can use it. No registration is needed and it is free.
Image: Kawasaki City official website
Morning places to stay expand to Kawasaki and Tama wards
On Oct 20, 2026, the Kawasaki City Board of Education announced that its pilot project for "morning places" (朝の居場所づくり) for elementary pupils will also start in Kawasaki Ward and Tama Ward.
A "morning place" lets children stay at their elementary school before classes begin. It is for families who worry about children spending the morning on their own, and local people watch over the children. Children spend the time in the library or a similar room, reading, studying or talking with the staff.
| Opening date | Ward | School | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct 28, 2026 | Tama | Noborito Elementary | 1st-floor library |
| Mon, Nov 16, 2026 | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Elementary | 1st-floor library |
With these two schools, all seven wards in the city now have a pilot school.
In Saiwai, at Shin-Ogura Elementary since July
Yes. Saiwai started earlier than most wards: it has been running at Shin-Ogura Elementary since Monday, Jul 6, 2026. It is held in the school’s media center and run by the NPO Hatarakurasu (はたらくらす).
The pilot schools in each ward are:
| Ward | School | Opening date |
|---|---|---|
| Saiwai | Shin-Ogura Elementary | Mon, Jul 6, 2026 |
| Takatsu | Hisamoto Elementary | Mon, Jul 6, 2026 |
| Miyamae | Inukura Elementary | Mon, Jul 6, 2026 |
| Nakahara | Shimo-Odanaka Elementary | Mon, Sep 14, 2026 |
| Asao | Yurigaoka Elementary | Mon, Sep 14, 2026 |
| Tama | Noborito Elementary | Wed, Oct 28, 2026 |
| Kawasaki | Kawasaki Elementary | Mon, Nov 16, 2026 |
A local festival is also planned at Shin-Ogura Elementary in November (our article on the Shin-Ogura Autumn Festival).
Open to all grades at model schools
Any pupil at a pilot school can use it, whatever their grade. It is open on school weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to around 8:10 a.m. It is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and during long breaks such as the summer holidays.
No application, registration or fee
No application is needed. Children who want to use it bring their "user card" and go to the room set by the school. There is no registration and no fee.
Apart from Shin-Ogura, no other elementary school in Saiwai Ward is a pilot school for now. The city says it will check how the pilot schools are doing and aims to set up morning places at all 115 city elementary schools, expanding to schools as they become ready.
Contacts
Contact the Ibasho (places for children) section, Community Education Promotion Office, Kawasaki City Board of Education Secretariat (phone 044-200-0446).
Sources
- 報道発表資料（PDF）（川崎市 教育委員会事務局）
Share this article
Send on LINE
Share on X
Share on ThreadsLinks sent on LINE open in your phone’s usual browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.).
Who runs this site
Sky Hand
Runs Roots Lab. / UX writer
Designs UI and UX at a company, and runs and plans Roots Lab. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture.
See profile →You may also like
- Toshiba lab class, apply from Nov 2On Wednesday, Jan 6, 2027, the "Kawasaki Junior Venture School 2026 taster class" for 4th to 6th graders will be held at Toshiba's Corporate Research & Development Center in Komukai-Toshiba-cho, Saiwai Ward.
Saiwai Techno Juku, apply by Oct 27On Saturday, Dec 5, 2026, "Saiwai Techno Juku," a class where Saiwai elementary pupils learn about LEDs, will be held at the LAZONA Kawasaki Toshiba Building. Children build a light-up simulator.- Park check finds 241 damaged itemsKawasaki City checked storage sheds, posts, benches, play equipment and other items placed by parties other than the city in about 1,300 parks it manages. Of the 4,638 items checked, none was dangerous enough to need immediate removal.
- 50 students to meet city councilKawasaki City Council will hold a "Dialogue between High School Students and Kawasaki City Council Members" on Thursday, Dec 24, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the council chamber and other rooms on floors 22 to 24 of the Kawasaki City Hall main building.