Nature School Forest

Produced by
Shigeyuki OkajimaTadashi Inamoto

Through encounters and interaction with nature, people, "earth art" and participation in programs that call upon humans' five senses and imagination in the forest, the Forest Nature School will offer opportunities to learn about nature's scheme and to gain an awareness with which to rethink the relationship between nature and humanity.

Facilities

Kameike Main School: A school in the forest!
The entrance facility to the Forest Nature School. The school-like wooden structure heightens expectations for the experience program.

Cottage of Light: Sensing the connection between light and life!
Plants take in sunlight to photosynthesize and produce oxygen, and animals take in this oxygen; in this way, all forms of life on Earth can go on living.

Cottage of Water: Exploring the flow and course of water
The rain that falls over the mountains enriches the forests, soaks into the earth, runs through our lives as rivers, and flows into the seas.

Cottage of the Forest: Interact with the forest and play in the forest!
The blessings of the forest contribute to all the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, and have nurtured many cultures and traditions.

Program Image of Forest Nature School

Participants will go out on entertaining experience nature programs in the forest with the interpreters.

Drama performance
The interpreters are great actors! They will communicate messages to the participants through various performances and skits.

Experience nature program examples
Building a forest hideaway. Through first-hand experience, participants can make discoveries about the relationship between humanity and nature.

Music performance
The interpreters are talented! At times they will perform music using drums and other instruments.

Program with exhibits
By incorporating exhibits in the program, visitors' eagerness to join in the experience will be hightened.

Earth Art Program
An art program using material found in the forest and humans' five senses. It offers participants the opportunity to gain new perspectives and discover nature's beauty.

South Forest (tentative name)

Interpreter-guided programs

With the forests covering the Expo site as the setting, interpreters will guide participants through nature. The interpreters will provide participants with hints so that they can experience nature more fully, help them sense the messages suggested by the natural surroundings and the exhibits of the site, and also enhance the forest fun with music and drama performances.
Programs revolving around the themes of light, water and the forest will be offered, as well as seasonal programs dealing with the site's nature itself, which will be in constant change during the Expo.

Self-guided programs

Participants will undergo a quick orientation at the beginning and choose a course that suits their interests. They will then embark on a walk in the forest with the help of a guide book that outlines the course. At each program stage, such as the Cottage of Light, the Cottage of Water and the Cottage of the Forest, participants can receive explanations from interpreters awaiting them and take part in hands-on programs.

Hands-on workshops

A number of hands-on programs lasting between 5 minutes and 30 minutes will be prepared, mostly indoors and mostly consisting of crafts. Some of the works created may be used as art objects to decorate the site. Workshops in which participants can create something to take home as souvenirs will also be offered. Focusing on Japanese culture, activities that integrate old handicrafts, games, art, and nature will be introduced.

North Forest (tentative name)

Self-guided walk using picture books and other material

Using picture books, worksheets and other material received at the entrance to navigate themselves, participants can walk through the forest at their own pace. This enables them to look at things from new perspectives unfamiliar to them and to undergo various experiences as they stroll through the forest. By using this material to guide themselves, participants can perceive the messages of the forest through the material while they enjoy the forest at their preferred pace.

 

* In consideration of the impact on the environment, the number of daily visitors is scheduled to be limited.
Earth art: Works of art that use the earth itself as the canvas and are created with natural materials, such as nuts, leaves, branches, rocks, and soil.