ESD/SDGs in ESD/UNESCO
Associated School andTohoku Consortium(Miyagi University of Education)
ESD/UNESCO Associated School and Tohoku ConsortiumTable of contents
Introduction ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

1① ESD/UNAESCO-Associated Schools andTohoku Consortium (Miyagi University of Education) ・・・ 2② Hiraizumi Town Board of Education (Iwate Prefecture) ・・・ 4③ Kesennuma City Board of Education (Miyagi Prefecture) ・・・ 6④ Osaki City Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Promotion Section ・・・ 8⑤ Tadami Town Board of Education (Fukushima Prefecture)・・・ 10⑥ Daisen City Board of Education (Akita Prefecture)・・・ 12⑦ Miyagi Prefectural Kesennuma High School ・・・ 14⑧ FEEL Sendai ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 16⑨ Sendai UNESCO Association ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 18⑩ Tohoku Gakuin Junior High School and Senior High School ・・・ 20⑪ Fukushima Prefectural Adachi High School ・・・ 22⑫ Aizu UNESCO Association ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 24⑬ Miyagi Prefecture Tagajo High School ・・・・・・ 26⑭ Miyagi Prefecture Tomiya High School ・・・・・・ 28⑮ Tohoku Regional ESD Activities Support Center・・・ 30
Conclusion ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 32

ESD and SDGs as taken up
by the ESD/UNESCO-Associated Schools
and Tohoku Consortium
Introduction
In Japan, the government’s new curriculum guidelines indicate that the course of
education will henceforth entail the nurturing of “creators of a sustainable society”.
That said, however, what kind of society does a sustainable society look like?
The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which began in 2005, has been
the subject of all sorts of discussions. While the skills cultivated through ESD have beenclariﬁed, the notion of a sustainable society has been vague and insuﬃciently understood. In
2015, the United Nations set forth its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ‒ goals(challenges) to be tackled by the international community by 2030 and resolved in order tocreate a sustainable society ‒ and ﬁnally helped clarify the notion of a sustainable society.
The seventeen goals, with their 169 targets, comprising the SDGs constitute challenges
that must be resolved soon if we are to realize a sustainable society. However, thesechallenges cannot be resolved at once. Each community and actor will be called upon todeﬁne and engage in their own challenges in accordance with their own circumstances.
These SDGs will chart a course for the resolution of these goals (challenges) and also, atthe same time, underpin education for sustainable development in order to cultivate those
who will be tasked with ﬁnding solutions. Indeed, SDGs are what ESD is all about.
The ESD/UNESCO-Associated Schools and Tohoku Consortium is engaged in work todisseminate practical curricula and programs on ESD/SDGs from each area across the
Tohoku region. This pamphlet introduces the features of measures that are currently being
carried out in practice for ESD/SDGs in each area. A separate report outlining speciﬁccurricula and programs has been prepared.

1

ESD/UNESCO-Associated Schools and Tohoku Consortium
149 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City 980-0845
Tel. 022-214-3708 Fax 022-214-3342
E-mail: kenkyo@adm.miyakyo-u.ac.jp

A network of activity centers engaged in the pursuitof ESD/SDGs across the Tohoku region
A consortium for the Tohoku region was developed through initiatives
undertaken by the ESD/UNESCO-Associated Schools and Tohoku
Consortium, which was supported by a program to subsidize UNESCO
activity costs as run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology (MEXT) between fiscal years 2014 and 2016, andsuccessor initiatives. In addition, the framework for ESD activities centeredaround UNESCO-associated schools was fortified and ESD hub areas
were established in collaboration with the Tohoku Regional ESD Activities
Support Center through a program to subsidize UNESCO activity costs(Promoting ESD Through Collaborations With Schools and Communities
for the Attainment of SDGs for the Tohoku Region) from fiscal year 2018.
In Kesennuma City, Osaki City, Tadami Town, and Hiraizumi Town inparticular, consortium activities have engendered the power of area centers
and the power of networks to organize areas. In these areas, UNESCOassociated schools promoting ESD have begun learning from one anotherwith a focus on school education.
In fiscal year 2019, class curricula were developed and communitydevelopment programs were created in these priority areas through fourlearning seminars based on the theme of the development of curricula for SDGs and ESD based on the use of local
resources by local citizens and the results of this process were then made visible.
Other satellite areas have been keeping themselves apprised of the results in other priority areas and working todevelop hub areas for ESD and SDGs for ten areas across the Tohoku region.

Consortium curricula and programs for ESD/SDGs
In Hiraizumi Town, Hiraizumi-ology , a field of study concerning the sustainable development of world cultural
heritage sites, is taught in the context of school and social education and practiced in the context of community
development. The curriculum for Hiraizumi-ology at kindergartens, primary schools, and junior high schools isincorporated into classroom lessons and extracurricular activities and implemented through the presentation of
results at school talent shows and other on other such occasions. The town has published easy-to-understandfeatures in local newsletters and proposed programs for community development based on these results.
In Kesennuma City, most kindergartens, primary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools are
UNESCO-associated schools, have developed a curriculum for ESD/SDGs in collaboration with the local
community, and produced results in such areas as disaster-prevention education and marine education. In terms ofa program of community development, ESD roundtable discussions have been continuously held for eighteen years
and a system of partnership between schools and the local community has been created.
In the Osaki area, a traditional system of water management used for Osaki tilled soil in support of sustainablepaddy field farming has been registered as a globally important agricultural heritage system. Work is being carried2

out with a focus on developing a local program for the promotion of ESD/SDGs.
In Tadami Town, human resources with a genuine fondness for Tadami are being nurtured through theincorporation of Tadami-ology into primary schools and junior high schools as a study centered around a UNESCO
eco-park and the creation of a curriculum for understanding the connections among mountains, rivers, and the sea ina way that takes into account perspectives informed by marine education.
Other areas are also working to develop human resources for the realization of a sustainable society (ESD) by
setting forth SDGs to address local challenges.

Steering committees ( ● denotes a satellite area)〇 Miyagi University of Education〇 Shirakami area
Shirakami-Sanchi Financial Group〇 Hiraizumi area
Hiraizumi Town Board of Education (Iwate Prefecture)〇 Daisen area
Daisen City Board of Education (Akita Prefecture)〇 Kesennuma area Kesennuma ESD/RCE Promotion Committee and Kesennuma City Board of Education
Osaki City Board of Education, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Promotion Section〇 Osaki area
〇 Sendai area
FEEL Sendai
Sendai UNESCO Association
Sendai City Yagiyama Zoological Park
NPO Environmental Chamber Tohoku
Miyagi Prefecture Tagajo High School
Tohoku Gakuin Junior High School and Senior High School
Tomiya Welfare Association〇 Shiroishi area
Shiroishi UNESCO Association〇 Adachi area
Fukushima Prefectural Adachi High School〇 Aizu area
Tadami Town Board of Education
Aizu UNESCO Association
・Sendai Wide-Area ESD/RCE Steering Committee
・United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
・Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO・National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan
・Center for Ocean Literacy and Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo
・AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
・UNYgroup Holdings Co., Ltd.
■ Observers
・Sendai City Environmental Coexistence Section・Tohoku Regional Environmental Office・Tohoku Regional ESD
Activities Support Center・Miyagi ESD Research Society

3Hiraizumi Town Board of Education
45-2 Aza-Shirayama, Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi Town 029-4192
https://www.town.hiraizumi.iwate.jp/

Learn from the past, focus on the present, and think about
the future with Hiraizumi-ology , a field of study for all generations
In the World Heritage town of Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi-ology , afield of study for all generations, is taught to all residents to allow
people to learn about the thoughts and history of their ancestors,
who developed a town of the (Buddhist) Pure Land for the here
and now, and properly inherit a traditional culture and other local
treasures. The town aims to be sustainable while conveying thevalues and appeal of Hiraizumi to others in Japan and abroad by
expanding on this work.
Children stroll through Motsuji Temple’s Ayame Garden.

Learning through the process of participatory experience → knowledge-oriented action → dissemination-oriented action● From taking walks to obtaining a guided learning experience(study of Hiraizumi-ology as systemized for kindergartens,
daycare centers, and primary and junior high schools)
The children of Hiraizumi learn Hiraizumi-ology , a systematic fieldof study designed to instill community pride through the lives of local
people as derived from the World Heritage site, local heritage sites,
and traditional culture that can be found in their town. This cycleof learning entails a cyclical process of learning whereby students
gain participatory experience (by seeing, hearing, and participatingin events), engage in knowledge-oriented thinking (by acquiring,
discussing, and deepening their knowledge about Hiraizumi frommaterials), and carry out dissemination-oriented action (by sharing what
they know about Hiraizumi with residents and visitors of the town).
Children attending kindergartens and daycare centers comeinto direct contact with nature while walking around town andare exposed to cultural elements that are unique to Hiraizumi
by practicing noh chanting. In primary school, students explore
sources of pride in their town as well as research local festivals andindustries and the local environment and then present their findings
in front of local residents or in pamphlets.
For junior high school students, the ultimate goal of Hiraizumiology is to have students gain experience as guides in their thirdyear. To this end, they take on the challenge of transcribing sutras,
sit in meditation, try their hand at excavation, and sit for a Hiraizumiology test in their first year of junior high school. In their second year,
they learn about disaster prevention and create fire pits where large
characters are burned as part of a ceremonial event. As third-year
students, students work on promoting Hiraizumi while participating inschool trips.

4

Primary school students sell golden melons,a local specialty product that they cultivated themselves.

Junior high school students guide tourists visiting Motsuji
Temple and the Kanjizaioin Ruins in English.

Hiraizumi-ology in an administrative district where local treasures are studied in an effort to promote interactions across generations● Community learning to connect different generations
Area learning initiatives are also being pursued in order to extend
Hiraizumi-ology beyond children to also encompass learning with thecooperation of the whole community. Led by children’s groups in each oftwenty-one administrative districts in the town, people learn about theirlocal heritage by studying historical ruins, traditional events and customs,
local performing arts, local cuisine, and more. These represent wonderful
opportunities for children and other local residents to gather together.
When children cultivate an interest in local treasures and can learn about
local history and culture from their grandparents’ generation, an opportunity
arises for not just children but also adults to be reminded of all the positive
facets of their hometown.
Work is being carried out with the hope that local learning will pass on
to members of the next generation a sense of affection and pride for theirhometown and that this will lead to animated intergenerational interactions,the revitalization of local communities, and more children who are familiar
with and can talk about their community.

A luncheon featuring local cuisine is served ata meeting of senior clubs and children’s groups
from eighteen wards.

Learning to disseminate information on Hiraizumi● The Golden Hiraizumi Information Dissemination Project
Since 2013, Junior Hiraizumi Cultural Tour Groups have been organizedwith the aim of allowing participants to visit places with ties to Hiraizumi
and World Heritage sites nationwide, find out how they are connected toHiraizumi, expand the breadth of their experiences and deepen friendships
through exchanges with children they meet on their travels, and proactively
disseminate the values and appeal of Hiraizumi to others.
While the scope of these tours was initially limited to the Tohoku
region, it was expanded to encompass destinations across the country
as part of the Golden Hiraizumi Information Dissemination Project inPrimary school students from Hiraizumi Town visit
Tanabe City in Wakayama Prefecture and are guided
2018. That year, participants were able to visit Tanabe City, Wakayama
by primary school students residing in Hongu District.
Prefecture, the birthplace of Musashibo Benkei, walk on the Kumano
Kodō pilgrimage route guided by young storytellers belonging to Hongu District Primary School, and communicate
with locals. In 2019, participants visited Miyajima in Aki, Hiroshima Prefecture, where a shrine was built by Tairano Kiyomori. They were guided around the island by children attending Miyajima Gakuen and managed to deepen
mutual dialog with them in the course of this trip. The study of peace at the Peace Memorial Park turned out to be aninvaluable learning experience. Participants have indicated that they would like to continue communicating with others
and learning by “thinking about Hiraizumi in the course of traveling elsewhere from Hiraizumi”.

● Making Hiraizumi-ology into a more profound field of study for all generations
While Hiraizumi-ology has grown from a focus on kindergarten, daycare, primary school, and junior high school
students to a field of study for community learning, the evolution of this field of study into a way to learn about
solutions to problems that would allow us to respond to our ancestors’ desire for peace, look at the present, andthink about the future would result in Hiraizumi-ology for all generations, which would be indispensable for achieving
Hiraizumi’s goal of developing a town that can stand for a thousand years.

5Kesennuma City Board of Education
1-1 Uoichibamae, Kesennuma City 988-8502

Kesennuma ESD aspires to provide “education to enable people to forge
a better future with others and to live happily in accordance with their own values”
Kesennuma ESD began as an initiative adopted at Omose Primary School in 2002.
Work has since been carried out to develop human resources capable of helping create asustainable society through studies designed to get students to confront local challenges
and think about what is needed to solve these challenges.
The philosophy of ESD is also reflected in the government’s curriculum guidelines. With
ESD expected to become increasingly important in the future, Kesennuma City aims toprovide “education to enable people to forge a better future with others* and to live happilyin accordance with their own values” as its version of ESD. Kesennuma ESD refers not to
specific areas of education, such as environmental education, disaster-prevention education,or education pertaining to local traditional cultures, but to all forms of education for which
the emphasis is placed on the value that such examples of education represent.
* Others mean “people around us and in the community”,

Slogan of the earthquake
recovery plan.

“people on planet earth today”, and “people of the future”.

Community-based practice and diverse partnerships
In the city, various curricula have been developed by harnessing
the unique characteristics of each community and systematic,inquiry-based initiatives have been implemented upon being
modified to meet local needs. Another important feature of such
curricula is their deployment through collaborations and partnerships
with stakeholders in the city as well as universities, specialist
organizations, and a wide range of other concerned parties.
In order to exchange information and strengthen links,
UNESCO-associated school workshops as well as the annual
Kesennuma ESD/RCE round-table conference, which is usually2019 Kesennuma ESD/RCE round-table conference.
attended by a broad range of stakeholders, are held to allow
participants to think about what should be done while sharing the latest information and news.

6

Disaster-prevention education: a part of Kesennuma ESD and based on lessons learned from the Great East-Japan Earthquake
In Kesennuma City, many people lost their lives to the Tohoku earthquake
and tsunami of 2011. Lessons learned were used to review disaster-prevention
education from the standpoint of ESD. A disaster-prevention study sheet
sets forth specific examples of teaching based on these lessons and a study
program adaptable for teaching is provided.
At Hashikami Junior High School, where disaster-prevention education has
been erected as a pillar of ESD, storytelling activities at the Ruins of the Great
East Japan Earthquake Kesennuma City Memorial Museum have begun inorder to pass on the lessons learned from the earthquake to the next generationand nurture people of the future who will be able to act to protect lives.

Storytelling by students belonging toHashikami Junior High School

Living With the Sea : a curriculum for Kesennuma
The slogan for Kesennuma City’s earthquake recovery plan is Living With
the Sea . As has been the case to date, Kesennuma City will continue to takeadvantage of the blessings of the sea and also embrace its harshness. Accordingly,
Kesennuma City has been focused on restructuring education as it pertains to thesea and building a curriculum for marine education. A marine education promotion
liaison council comprising fifteen kindergartens, primary schools, and juniorhigh schools in the city has been formed to promote practical approaches while
members share information and receive guidance and advice from and cooperate
Kindergarten kids incorporate
with universities and specialist organizations.
experiences into their play.
In addition, Kesennuma City has begun progressive initiatives for the protection ofmarine environments, such as by formulating an Action Plan for Addressing the Problem of Plastic Ocean Trash. In thecontext of Kesennuma ESD, people have been learning about this problem and practical activities have also been undertaken,
such as by holding workshops for teachers and government officials in the city and organizing beach clean-up events.

Developing human resources through learning that paints a picture of and helps forge a future for Kesennuma● Fostering a more profound and expanded attitude with ESD that isdesigned to encourage people to think on a habitual basis
As the economy globalizes, AI evolves, and society undergoes a dramatictransformation due to a lower rate of childbirth, we will strive to encourage people
to think on a habitual basis in a way that is needed for people who will be living inthe society of the future by developing experiential and exploratory activities thattouch on the value of thinking about creating a sustainable society while we takeadvantage of past achievements. We would like to foster a more profound andexpanded attitude towards responsible social participation while we endeavor tostabilize activities and render them more dynamic and while we further promoteparticipation on the part of citizens.

The future of Kesennuma ESD and its
possibilities.

● A project to cultivate the ability to create a community is also being run.
In high school, students engage in task-oriented studies based on the groundwork laid at the junior high school level.
A project devoted to community development that connects learning activities in this context to Numa University andNuma Juku, which are programs for the development of human resources as run by the city government and NPOs, hasbeen developed.

7

Osaki Area Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Promotion Council
1-1 Nanokamachi, Fukukawa, Osaki-shi, Miyagi Prefecture 989-6188
Osaki City Board of Education, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Promotion
Tel. 0229-23-2281
E-mail: osaki-giahs@city.osaki.miyagi.jp

Protection through utilization

Developing a sustainable community based on the use of a traditional system of water management used
for Osaki tilled soil, which has been registered as a globally important agricultural heritage system

In order to develop the agriculture, culture, and rich ecosystem ofOsaki tilled soil, which has been recognized as a globally important
agricultural heritage system, as well as the beautiful, functional rurallandscape consisting of a tapestry of rice paddies, waterways, andigune house trees and ensure that they can be bequeathed to future
generations, the Osaki Area Globally Important Agricultural Heritage
Systems (GIAHS) Promotion Council and relevant organizations
have joined forces to promote conservation and utilization measuresand make the agriculture and lifestyle represented by Osaki tilled
soil even greater sources of pride.

Certificate is conferred at the FAO Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) International Forum.

The Field Museum Concept
The Field Museum Concept aims to promote a greater
understanding of local residents and increase the number ofvisitors by allowing people to visit and experience various local
resources tied to the tilled soil of Osaki as if they were in an
exhibition hall at a museum. The following initiatives are being
implemented with a view to showcasing local resources.
① Produce Field Museum maps
② Produce local stories and walking routes③ Produce films④ Set up information signage⑤ Develop Field Museum sites⑥ Establish a system for accepting culinary and agriculturalexperiences⑦ Carry out promotional activities and build momentum⑧ Conserve and utilize igune house trees

The upper reaches of a mountain stream in the Osaki area.

A unique landscape featuring an agricultural village
consisting of a tapestry of igune house trees and waterways.

8

Agricultural products certification program in the Osaki area
A certification program to brand agricultural products andhandicrafts produced in connection with Osaki tilled soil,
which constitutes fertile land registered as a Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage System, is designed to increase the value
added to these products. This certification program was first usedwith rice harvested in 2019, which has been sold as rice certified
as having been grown in an area with a Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage System.
It is notable that any rice that is to be certified needs to satisfy
the following conditions: the rice constitutes a variety developed
at the Miyagi Prefecture Furukawa Agricultural Experimental
Station; the use of chemical fertilizers should be reduced by half
compared to the amount used for conventional farming; and livingorganisms need to be monitored. This is the first certification
program of its kind in the country to require the conducting of awide-area survey of living organisms to such an extent.

Workshop on the monitoring of living organisms.

Certification mark.

Supplementary textbook pertaining to Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)
In order to utilize Osaki tilled soil in a way that protects it asa Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, it is vital thatthe wisdom and efforts of our ancestors be passed on to the next
generation and that human resources for ensuring that this system
is bequeathed as a local treasure of which residents should be
proud are developed. With this in mind, a supplementary textbook
pertaining to Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems will
be distributed to all third- to sixth-year primary school students
in one city and four towns from fiscal year 2020 to give them an
opportunity to learn about the appeal of Osaki within the frameworkof their school-based education and help them deepen theirunderstanding of the area in which they live.
For the production of this supplementary textbook, an editorialcommittee was formed with the participation of the boards ofeducation of one city and four towns and the contents were written by
educators who belonged to these boards of education and who wereknowledgeable about local facts pertinent to this subject matter.
We hope to take advantage of this program of learning basedon the use of a supplementary textbook in schools to share theappeal of the Osaki area with local residents and foster pride in thenotion of living in an area recognized for having a Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage System.

Supplementary textbook pertaining to Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) (tentative)

9

Tadami Town Board of Education
2591-30 Aza-Machishita, Oaza-Tadami, Tadamimachi,
Minami-Aizu-gun, Fukushima Prefecture 968-0421
Tel. 0241-82-5320
E-mail: gakkou@town.tadami.lg.jp
http://kir523528.kir.jp/

Developing a sustainable population ofvisitors around a UNESCO eco-park
Tadami Town is an intermediate and mountainous area situated in
the southwestern corner of Fukushima Prefecture adjacent to Niigata
Prefecture and is a place where mountains and forests account for
approximately ninety-four percent of the town’s total area of 747
square kilometers. Tadami Town is presently home to around 4,200
Location of Tadami Town.
residents and the aging rate of the population of this town hasreached forty-six percent.
In fiscal year 2014, Tadami Town was certified as a UNESCO eco-park. The town aims to develop in a way thatenables sustainable growth while it promotes “co-existence between people and nature”, the philosophy on which
UNESCO eco-parks are based.

Curriculum through which Tadami-ology is taught in practice at UNESCO-associated schools
As UNESCO-associated schools, three primary schools and one juniorhigh school in Tadami Town offer ESD with Tadami-ology , a field ofstudy designed to promote local understanding, at its core. Based on thedevelopment of human resources capable of safeguarding global peace,
this curriculum aims to cultivate children and students who are proud of
their hometown through the practice of ESD and who can help ensure thecontinued prosperity and survival of their hometown.
Since 2017, the town has partnered with the Center for Ocean Literacy
and Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo,
to implement ESD with the inclusion of perspectives informed by marine
education. The aim is to raise in children and students an awarenessof how love for one’s hometown helps protect the sea and the earth byencouraging them to think of Tadami from a broader perspective in terms ofthe global water cycle.
The Tadami Fun Learning Guidebook was also published anddistributed to all households to allow children and adults to deepen theirunderstanding of their own community and rediscover local values. In orderto further promote this guidebook, the Tadami Fun Learning Test has been
administered since 2015.
Major examples of learning activities carried out by primary and juniorhigh schools include Hometown Mountain Climbing at Tadami Primary
School, Marine Exchange Learning at Asahi Primary School, Learning for
the Transmission of Traditional Performing Arts at Meiwa Primary School,
and Local Collective Disaster-Prevention Training at Tadami Junior HighSchool.

10

Grade five students at Meiwa Primary School discover
the secrets of heavy snowfall at Lake Tagokura.

Tadami Fun Learning Guidebook

A program to attract more visitors through the use of the eco-parkWith the rate of childbirth continuing to decline and society aging,
the number of primary and junior high school students in Tadami Town
as well as enrolment at Tadami High School, the only high school in
the town, were both decreasing.Against the backdrop of these trends,
the Mountain Village Educational Exchange Study Program was begun
by Tadami Town in 2002 in order to ensure the survival of TadamiHigh School. This program aimed to secure enrollees on a stablebasis by attracting enrollees to Tadami High School from elsewherein the prefecture and the country at large. Participants are housed indormitories divided according to sex.
It is expected that these participants will help ensure the survival of
and revitalize Tadami High School as well as increase the populationof visitors to Tadami Town.

(Left) Students participating in the Mountain Village
Educational Exchange Study Program participate in a townsponsored event by donning Santa costumes and delivering
Christmas presents to the homes of children attending
Tadami Daycare Center on Christmas Eve.
(Right) On September 15 (Sunday), sports festivals were
held in each of the three districts of Tadami Town –Tadami, Asahi, and Meiwa. Students belonging to theMountain Village Educational Exchange Study Program also
participated in the sports festival held in Tadami District
under the banner of Team High School Students andmanaged to compete fiercely enough for a third-place finish.

Students belonging to three primary schools learn
traditional techniques unique to Tadami from members of
the local vine craft preservation society in each area andshowcase their skills at local cultural festivals.
(Photographs depict grade six students belonging to Meiwa
Primary School.)

A program for the development of a sustainable community through the use of local resources● The development of local industry: Establishing Nekka LLC
Nekka LLC was established by five rice farmers in Tadami Town in July
2016 and produces and sells a brand of rice shochu known as Nekka. Madeentirely from rice grown in Tadami, Nekka is a rice shochu that was created atwhat is described by the company as Japan’s smallest distillery as a result ofa profound hope on the part of these farmers that their hometown will always
remain their hometown.
Nekka LLC is committed to local production for local consumption, makes
contributions to the local community, is engaged in activities to pass on alegacy to future generations, holds events to allow participants to try theirhands at planting and harvesting rice, and participates in lessons held at local
primary schools by dispatching guest teachers.

Rice shochu Nekka(From the website of Nekka LLC)

● Living with beech trees and living with snow / Traditional
products represented by Nature Capital Tadami
Nature Capital Tadami constitutes a program under which traditional products
are certified by the town to promote the protection and conservation of the naturalenvironment and biodiversity of this area, ensure that local traditional industries
and culture based on these natural advantages are passed on from generation to
generation and developed, and allow local industries to be cultivated.
Made using traditional techniques with raw materials consisting of natural
resources and agricultural products imbued with the blessings conferred by theextensive snowfalls and natural wonders found in Tadami, vine craft and processed
agricultural goods that have passed a rigid examination have been certified as
traditional products made in Nature Capital Tadami and sold accordingly.

A pamphlet in which traditional products
are introduced.
(Community Creation Section, Tadami
Town Hall)

11

Daisen City Board of Education
2-16 Kamisakae-cho, Omagari, Daisen-shi, Akita Prefecture 014-8601
Tel. 0187-63-1111 (switchboard)
http://www.edu.city.daisen.akita.jp/~ky-iinkai/

Situated in the southern part of Akita Prefecture, Daisen City is a pastoral rural city with a population of about
80,000 people and an area of around 867 square kilometers. With twenty-one primary schools and eleven junior-highschools, the city has embraced an educational goal of “cultivating the power of life and developing people brimmingwith creativity in support of society (creating, thinking, and blazing trails together)”. Even within Akita Prefecture,
the city boasts a high level of academic achievement and welcomes many visitors of educational institutions fromacross the country. These visitors invariably find out to their satisfaction that this level of academic achievement isunderpinned by various initiatives undertaken in collaboration with the community.
This fiscal year, a forum to raise academic performance was held and attended by around 1,000 participants fromacross Japan. Among the classes that were open to the public were numerous classes that explored matters fromthe perspective of SDGs, including an English-language class on food loss, a social studies class on poverty and theissue of a declining birthrate and aging population, and a technology and home economics class on the promotionof local agriculture. Reports on the practical aspects of meeting localized SDGs through partnerships between thecommunity and primary and junior-high schools were given at the practical presentation stage. At this forum, it wasdemonstrated that scholastic learning can be developed from the perspective of ESD through the implementation of
inquiry-based learning in Akita and that this can result in improved academic performance. This position was backed
by many of the participants in attendance.
Next, let us introduce initiatives that have been pursued here in Daisen City.

Developing the Daisen Education Method
The city has been engaged in the Daisen Education Method
since fiscal year 2016.This method entails the development
of distinctive educational activities designed to enhance three
types of abilities – (1) basic abilities, (2) the ability to learn, and(3) the ability to apply what is learned – through collaborations
between the community and kindergartens, primary schools, andjunior high schools in eleven junior high school districts. With
ESD having been incorporated into (3) (the ability to apply what
is learned), which is regarded as the most important goal for the
Method, the aim is to realize the fourth goal of SDGs (high-quality
education for everyone) through the establishment of partnerships
with the community and others and thereby develop children
capable of contributing to the revitalization of their community.
This initiative can also be seen as a way to nurture thecreators of a sustainable society as set forth in the philosophy
underpinning the government’s new curriculum guidelines.
The key unique initiatives being carried out in the junior highschool districts are connected to SDGs and include the following:
activities to pass on local traditional culture, the devising of
an interdisciplinary curriculum from an ESD perspective, theenhancement of learning that is free of mental barriers, learning
about forest environments, activities involving exchanges withdisaster-affected areas, activities involving exchanges with Akita
International University, and the enhancement of education witha focus on hometown careers.

12Daisen City Junior High School Students’ Assembly
In Daisen City, the Junior High School Students’ Assembly is convened once every
three years. This event is intended to deepen interest in and understanding of cityadministration and the workings of city council on the part of participants by having
participating junior high school students, as future leaders, put forth questions andproposals on community development, the administration of education, and otherpertinent topics familiar to students and to develop comprehensive academic skills by
ensuring that this experience can be useful for participants in their actual day-to-day
school life and at local events. The opinions expressed by junior high school students
at this assembly are sometimes adopted as actual policies, which is a result that is
effective for shaping people into those who are eager to proactively engage in tasks they
are capable of performing while thinking about the future of the city. In accordance withthe theme of a junior high school students’ summit that was held on the day in question(“The future of Daisen City is ours to forge”), numerous proposals for a sustainable
future were put forward.
Questions and proposals in line with SDGs on such topics as “the effective useof cultural assets incorporating local cuisine and hands-on activities and theirtransmission to the world”, “community revitalization through the use of local
specialty goods produced in Daisen City”, “initiatives to deal with food loss”, “childrearing support that imparts joy and peace of mind”, and “disaster-prevention
measures and evacuation sites" were presented and carefully answered by city
officials.
A video of the event has been uploaded to YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV6JYy5ZB4s

A poster of the junior high school
students’ summit.

A moment from the Junior High SchoolStudents’ Assembly.

Daisen Furusato Doctor Development Program
The Daisen Furusato Doctor Development Program aims to cultivate love for Daisen as the hometown of local
residents and develop community leaders of the future through participation in local events, visits to companies andfacilities, and other community-related activities. The program assigns points according to the contents of each activity,
which are tallied to determine each participant’s conferred rank. Over time, a participant will work his or her way up theranks as a Daisen Furusato Doctor: primary level, intermediate level, advanced level, and honorary doctor. At present,
there are 4,185 primary-level participants, 1,728 intermediate-level participants, 308 advanced-level participants, and 52
honorary doctors.
Feedback from students who have participated inthis program included the following:“I came to understand just how difficult it is tomake saké. It was amazing to me that you could
harness the power of microorganisms to producesaké.” (Saké brewery)“I was surprised to hear that they also ship
Badges conferred on Furusato Doctors.
products overseas.” (Agricultural corporation)
An accompanying parent also remarked: “I wasn’t
aware that there was a nearby factory that madegoods for export. I thought it was an impressive
company. As a parent, I’d be very interested in thisplace as a potential employer (for my children).”(Machine manufacturing factory)In this way, this program actually seeks toaddress localized SDGs by perceiving thecommunity through various prisms and finding
Participants visit a factory.
Participants try harvesting vegetables.
solutions to local issues.

13

Miyagi Prefecture Kesennuma High School
130 Joraku, Kesennuma-shi, Miyagi Prefecture 988-0051
Tel. 0226-24-3400
E-mail: kesennuma-h@od.myswan.ed.jp
https://kesennuma-h.myswan.ed.jp/

Developing human resources possessing both the vision and the practicalability to help create local communities from a global perspective
Miyagi Prefecture Kesennuma High School is a school that opened after the result of the reorganization and consolidationin April 2005 of the former Kesennuma High School, which opened as the ninth junior high school under the old education
system in the prefecture in 1927, and the former Kanaegaura High School, which opened as a town-run practical course
girls’ school in 1923, was merged in fiscal year 2018 with Kesennuma Nishi High School. Work continues to be carriedout in developing a school that has inherited over ninety years of positive traditions at three different schools. Dynamic
educational activities and progressive initiatives are being developed to produce a school that can meet local expectations.
Academic guidance and exhortations to participate in club activities with a view to helping students enter university orotherwise pursue different options for their future pathways are provided. The school also actively encourages participation
in international exchanges as well as cultural exchanges at a community level and has improved its standard of Englishlanguage education (such that it was recognized for excellence in the provision of English-language instruction by the
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in fiscal year 2006). Upon being accredited as a UNESCOassociated school in fiscal year 2008, the school developed activities meant to correspond to the final stage of Kesennuma
ESD. The school was conferred the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology Award at the 9th ESD Grand Prix in 2008 and a Practical Grand
Prize at the first UNESCO-Associated Schools Competition for the Hokkaido andTohoku Block in 2018. After the earthquake, the school took advantage of support
programs to proactively carry out exchange activities with high schools in otherprefectures and various types of organizations, was designated a super global highschool (SGH) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
in fiscal year 2016, and aims to promote global literacy through the use of the sea
as a subject matter for exploration.

Community-integrated, inquiry-based learning with an awareness of the final stage of learning
With inquiry-based learning primarily oriented towards school-set subjects
consisting of Community Studies (first year) and Task-Oriented Studies I
and II (second and third years), students are made aware of SDGs and thenecessity, effectiveness, and independence of research, taught to shift theirfocus from the study of community issues to the study of global issues, andurged to pursue research that feels relevant. This type of learning also aims tocultivate global literacy (a term that collectively encompasses basic knowledge
and skills, thinking skills, the ability to communicate, diversity, collaboration,and the ability to take action as enhanced through the qualities and skills thisschool sets out to foster).
In the Community Studies course, students study solutions to local problems
selected from among five different domains (Sea and Industry, Sea and People,
Sea and Culture, Nature in the Sanriku Area, and Sea and Disaster Prevention)and twenty-four fields. In the Task-Oriented Studies I course, student engage inindividual research after setting a theme tied to SDGs in order to probe further
and expand on what was learned in the Community Studies course. Students
present research results twice a year (between October and November andin January) and proactively participate in events held by high schools andorganizations within the prefecture and elsewhere in the country.

14

A poster session is held as part ofpresentations for the entire student body.

Fieldwork is carried out twice a year.

Learning about international understanding in order to think about solving problems from a global perspective
Many foreign nationals who are technical interns or who have moved
here after getting married live in the city. All sorts of exchange activities
have been organized to date and this fiscal year is no different, with aninternational understanding seminar involving foreign nationals residing in
the city, disaster-prevention forum, and exchange meetings with technicalinterns having been held. In September, three local third-year students
participated in the World Tsunami Day 2019 High School Students’Summit in Hokkaido and were able to learn about the threat of andmeasures for dealing with tsunamis with high school students from fortyfour countries worldwide.
With a program for sending all second-year students to Taiwan fora creative training trip being launched this fiscal year, a five-day, fournight journey was undertaken between December 1 and 5. In Taiwan,
an exchange meeting with local university professors and high school
students was held and students were given the opportunity to makeresearch presentations in English and engage in fieldwork to gain some
exposure to history and culture existing outside of Japan. This training trip
allowed students to polish their linguistic skills, consider a greater range ofviewpoints through cross-cultural understanding, and broaden their horizons.
In addition, work is also being carried out to develop the ability tothink from a global perspective and utilize English proficiently throughthe school’s own C-cube activities, exchange meetings with overseas
university students, Skype exchanges, overseas training trips, and otherinitiatives.

Serious discussions are held at the Tsunami
Summit.

Photograph taken in Jiufen of participants training in
Taiwan.

Community-integrated learning to translate learning into action
A system for visiting universities, city halls, local companies, and non-profit organizations in the prefecture and elsewhereand for learning about the current state of and challenges affecting communities has been set up to allow first-year andsecond-year students to partake in creative fieldwork. For the presentation of results, representatives of places where students
undertake their fieldwork and city council members are invited and an opportunity to engage in discussions during a poster
session is established. In addition, a system that enables results and outcomes from the appointment of fieldwork advisors,
disaster-prevention studies offered in collaboration with the city government or fire department, student exchanges with primaryand junior high school students, and other ESD activities to be put into practice has been created.
Workshops and lesson study group sessions are also being actively organized for the purpose of improving teacher’steaching skills and the teaching of subjects is being managed to ensure the establishment of links with inquiry-based learning.

Little teachers(Learning support is provided to local primary and juniorhigh school students.)

A workshop to improve teaching skills for task-oriented
studies.

15

FEEL Sendai(Council for the Promotion of Environmental Education and Learning for the Citizens of Morinomiyako)
MS Building Futsukamachi 5F, 6-12 Futsukamachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi,
Miyagi Prefecture 981-8671
Tel. 022-214-0007
Email: feel_sendai@city.sendai.jp
https://www.tamaki3.jp/

Developing a scheme and the people thatcan support a positive environment
The Council for the Promotion of Environmental Education and Learning
for the Citizens of Morinomiyako (FEEL Sendai) was established in May
2004 as an organization dedicated to the development of people who careabout the environment through every aspect of society.
FEEL Sendai pamphlet.
A comprehensive approach to environmental education and learning
is promoted by building partnerships with citizens, NPOs, schools,
businesses, government, and other actors and leveraging a broad network of members. Work is being carried out in avariety of ways to develop a sustainable society, such as by developing and providing environmental learning programs inaccordance with the government’s curriculum guidelines for use in school education, supporting organizations dealing withenvironmental issues, and cultivating the next generation of leaders in the field of environmental education and learning.

Environmental learning programs that make use of the natural and social environment in Sendai, the City of Trees (Morinomiyako)
NPOs and others have created environmental learning programs anddeployed them for use in the context of school education by making use of thenatural and social environment in Sendai, a place known as the City of Trees(Morinomiyako). By enabling children and other citizens to learn from these
programs on a hands-on basis, these programs aim to develop people who canthink about environmental issues on a global scale and at a local level andtake environmentally-friendly action for the protection of the earth and theircommunities (ultimately as Morimori Environmental Rescue Troopers).
In fiscal year 2019, a total of twenty-six programs spanning various fields,
including nature, waterfronts, food and agriculture, daily living, and the global
environment, were offered and eighty-five sessions were conducted at daycare
centers, primary schools, and elsewhere.

Take a close look and behold the lively
worlds that exist in soil!
A session at a primary school.

Developing frameworks for the realization of a sustainable society
In order to realize a sustainable society in which everyone, including generationsof the future, can live with peace of mind, citizens, NPOs, and others are invited tosubmit project proposals that could spread and consolidate environmentally-friendly
actions across society. Accepted projects have been implemented. This process aims
to fuel NPO activities and popularize environmentally-friendly actions among citizens.
This program comprises two sections; one is known as Trees of the Environment,
which welcomes project proposals that could potentially give rise to a broad ripple
effect on citizens, and the other is known as Buds of the Environment, which extends
support for the first steps taken by groups seeking to engage in environmental
activities. Program steps are carried out around three or four times a year.

16

A workshop to allow participants to observe
water hyacinths in rice paddies.

Partnerships with a wide range of actors
Students, non-profit organizations, and citizens band together to hold an annual eventto help many local residents deepen their understanding of ESD and environmental
issues while having fun participating in a casual manner. This event is notable for having
an executive committee consisting of organizations that normally act independently of
one another and for being planned and run primarily by a student-led secretariat.
In fiscal year 2019, this event was held on December 7 in accordance with the themeof “Gain knowledge of and benefit from environmental learning: a new age! Become
more familiar with the environment”. Twenty-one booths in total were put up for display
and the event was attended by 1,400 visitors. Panels, games, the production of small
articles and models, and various other elements were planned for each booth. For the
event as a whole, a sticker rally was organized, a list of seventeen SDGs was posted at
the reception desk, and a single goal indicator was also affixed to each booth to bringattention to various initiatives undertaken for the promotion of SDGs.

Making wreaths.

Booth display.

Playing an eco-board game.

Developing people involved in environmental education
This initiative is being carried out to develop young people between the ages of eighteen and thirty years into
leaders involved in environmental education and learning by having participants establish links with people undertaking
environmental activities while they acquire knowledge and experience concerning the environment.
Thanks to three programs, which consist of a program for lecture-based learning, a program for activities run by nonprofit organizations, and a program of presentations based on the foregoing at Environmental Forum Sendai, knowledge
and experience concerning the environment are deepened and the establishment of links with people who deal with theenvironment is supported, such as by way of interactions with students and NPOs.

Raising animals at the Miyagi University of
Education.

Clean-up activity in the heart of the city.

Observing insects up close at an event where
the audible wonders of insects can be appreciated.

17

Sendai UNESCO Association
Sendai City Hall Nishiki-cho Government Building 3F,
1-3-9 Nishiki-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi 980-0012
Tel. 022-224-2581 Fax 022-302-3406
Email: sendai@unesco.or.jp
https://www.unesco.or.jp/sendai/With awareness and responsibility as the birthplace of the private-sector UNESCO movement,
the Sendai UNESCO Association advocates the creation of a society in which nobody is left behind
The Sendai UNESCO Association was established on July 19, 1947, as the world’s first private-sector UNESCO
organization (known at the time as the Sendai UNESCO Cooperative Association). It is reported that it served as thedriving force behind Japan’s admission to UNESCO (1951) and the approval that was granted to allow Japan to become amember of the United Nations (1956). Koichi Ueda of the Foreign Ministry, who played a crucial role in helping establish
this organization, was appointed its Secretary-General while Yasutaro Satake, President of Tohoku University, served asits first Director-General. The private-sector UNESCO movement lost no time in expanding into a worldwide phenomenon,such that there are now over 5,000 associations and clubs operating in 118 countries around the globe. Conscious of its
responsibilities as the birthplace of this movement, the Sendai UNESCO Association will continue to play a leading role.

● Two copies of Young Girl in Boots (by Churyo Sato)

The first ever Private-Sector UNESCO World Congress was held in Sendai in 1984 in accordance with the theme of
Peace, Development, and Participation. There were 370 foreign participants from eighty-six countries in attendance and1,500 UNESCO officials and members of the general public who participated in this event. A sculpture entitled Young Girlin Boots was erected at Tsutsujigaoka Park in commemoration of this congress. A duplicate of this sculpture was donatedto the Paris headquarters of UNESCO. These two sculptures were erected in such a way that they face each other andstand watch to ensure that the spirit of peace, as referenced in UNESCO’s constitution and inscribed on the pedestal ofeach sculpture, will be passed on to future generations.

● Private-Sector UNESCO Movement Day: Contributing to world peace and passing on the spirit of UNESCO

As the day on which the Sendai UNESCO Association was founded, July 19 has been declared the Private-Sector
UNESCO Movement Day and commemorative events are held by all UNESCO associations nationwide on this day.
Commemorative lectures are given by the Sendai UNESCO Association in an effort to enlighten people about the philosophy
behind UNESCO. In fiscal year 2019, a lecture entitled Now is the time for everyone to expand the scope of ESD! wasdelivered by Shuichi Saito, former superintendent of the Tadami Town Board of Education in Fukushima Prefecture. The
program for this day also included the conferring of certificates of appreciation on those who supported the World Terakoya
Movement, the presentation of a report on activities by the association’s youth club, and a session for discussions.

Civic-engagement activities promoted through partnerships● UNESCO College Courses: Preserving cultural heritage sites and natural heritage sites for posterity
As part of activities designed to preserve and pass on World Heritageand local heritage sites, courses combining classroom lessons and field
trips have been offered, including a course organized by the UNESCO
Women’s University, a course organized by Sendai UNESCO University,and a citizens’ course that has been continuously offered with UNESCO
College. A series exploring the Nara and Heian periods and a series about
the Teizan Canal, a local heritage site, have recently been launched. Since
the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, learning from the perspective of
the history and prevention of disasters has also been incorporated.

18

Commemorative photograph taken on Magaki Island,
Shiogama City

● Supporting the development of youth for the future: Sharing mytown’s treasures with others through pictures! (art exhibition)
Future leaders are being developed from the perspective of activities designed tofoster a love of community and help preserve local heritage sites. This art exhibitionis held for the benefit of primary and junior high school students in order to raiselevels of interest in World Heritage sites and local heritage sites and cultivate aspirit of respect for the town and place where students live. Each year, between
250 and 300 works of art are collected. This exhibition, which is held in the centerof Sendai City, is popular with citizens. Fiscal year 2019 marked the twenty-second
time this event was held.

● Learning and actions deliberately undertaken for a sustainableglobal environment: UNESCO College ESD Courses and the World
Peace and Disaster-Prevention Project

Art exhibition awards ceremony. The children who
participate are encouraged by the many awards
that are handed out at this event, including theGovernor’s Prize, Sendai City Mayor’s Prize, Tomiya
City Mayor’s Prize, and UNESCO Association
Director-General’s Prize.

ESD is being further promoted as a tool that will contribute to the attainmentof SDGs. Registered as an area ESD center, the Sendai UNESCO Association
provides learning on solving problems affecting communities and society as awhole and supports various organizations engaged in activities as a partner. Since
fiscal year 2018, the Association has been holding ESD courses for citizens incollaboration with the Tohoku Region ESD Activities Support Center. In fiscal year
At the closing ceremony for the World Peace andDisaster-Prevention Project.
2018, it hosted a talk by Kentaro Ono from Kiribati and a briefing on global warmingWith a video message from the late Dr. Pachauri.
by an expert from the Meteorological Observatory in accordance with the themeof climate change. In fiscal year 2019, the Association organized a lecture given by Miyagi University’s Professor Ryuichi
Sakuta and a workshop by Shokei Gakuin University’s Professor Chieko Watanabe. Both courses are structured to have avariety of learning provided by government and school officials and experts and encourage participants to think about ways
they can act. In fiscal year 2019, the World Peace and Disaster-Prevention Project was held in accordance with the subtheme of “SDGs for linking disaster-affected areas with the future” with the support of S-PAL Sendai to raise awareness of
SDGs among citizens and administer a survey on public awareness.

Activities of the youth club
● UNESCO children’s camp in Miyagi
This youth camp is an event that is becoming increasingly popular witheach passing year as an activity that is especially important for the youth club.
Open to students in the prefecture ranging in age from fourth year students inprimary school to third year students in junior high school, this camp features a
program for which a theme is set to enable children to develop independence
and communication and social skills by camping in nature. In fiscal year 2019,a program for raising awareness of SDGs was added to contents designed toteach about the spirit and activities of UNESCO through experiences.

● Study tours
The youth club has planned study groups led by university students fora new program that began in fiscal year 2019 for the purpose of learning
through travel. The participants themselves determine locations, objectives,and activities with an awareness of the issues. The first tour to remember
involved a trip to Okinawa. Participants learned a lot from activities carried out
by high school students working to pass on local traditions and culture andfrom interactions with people who told stories about the war. Participants also
partook in activities designed to relay what they learned to members of the next
generation.

100 participants in total camp for threedays and two nights.
A commemorative photograph to markthe end of camp is taken in front of the
O-ENCE Izumigatake Nature Center

Okinawa Peace Memorial Park with theCornerstone of Peace in the background.

19

Tohoku Gakuin Junior High School and High School
123-1 Aza-Takano Kozuru, Miyagino-ku, Sendai-shi,
Miyagi Prefecture 983-8565

3L Hope Studies, a form of the comprehensive learning period designed to develop the ability
to take on challenges independently, creatively, and collaboratively and allow students tocontemplate their own mission in life with eyes on the future through ESD and career studies
In 2017, the comprehensive learning period was updated
and incorporated into ESD as 3L Hope Studies. Professor(Emeritus) Takaaki Koganezawa of the Miyagi University of
Education designed a six-year field of inquiry encompassing
everything from the world around us to the wider world atlarge and formulated an approach to inquiry-based learning
for which SDGs are treated as a starting point. With each
student having access to his or her own computer at the
Designing a field of inquiry
same time, this approach has students probing deeper into
the contents of study over a course of six years (or three
years for participants starting from high school) by amassing a portfolio of study contents that are reviewed from time
to time and clearly seeks to reconcile the goal of overcoming societal issues with each student’s decision regarding
his or her own future path in terms of achieving this goal.

Learning by junior high school students
Learning for first year students in junior high school starts with fieldwork conducted at Umeda River, whichruns near their school. Working in groups, students make predictions regarding water quality, organisms, andtrash in advance, compare these predictions with actual observations, consider the factors that account for
their findings, and then summarize and present these findings using slides. Guest teachers are also invitedand give talks on the role of microorganisms in water purification and on the characteristics of rivers in Japan.
In the middle of the school year, students explore crops and vegetation that grow in cold climates ahead ofa camping trip to Iwate that they will be taking at a later date. Comparisons are then made with the contentsof learning through groupwork conducted in collaboration with Iwate University and notable points are thenFirst-year students learn from people who aresummarized and presented on slides with group members. At the end of the school year, students work
engaged in exceptional work.
independently by finding someone who works hard to attain sustainable development goals number 13, 14,
and 15 and preparing slides to showcase that person’s activities. Capping off the school year is a lecture
given by a guest teacher to encourage students to think about what they should do to help.
Second-year students investigate the current state of child labor and try to determine the causes of thisissue in groups. At the same time, they deepen their understanding of the Convention on the Rights of theChild and, based on their understanding of the fact that there are children their age or younger who haveno choice but to work, consider and propose ways of changing the status quo and share the results of thisprocess with the entire class. Afterwards, students deepen their understanding of what they learned byreceiving feedback from a guest teacher with experience providing support to street children overseas. In the
A part of a slide used to announce themiddle of the school year, students visit workplaces to get a sense of what kinds of social issues businessresults of a river survey.
face in the real world and deepen their understanding of the current state of child labor by asking about
people’s motivation to work. They then summarize what they learned at different businesses on slides and share these findings with the entire grade through apresentation. In the second half of the school year, students undergo training to learn from people who have been engaged in the attainment of SDGs in Tokyoand thereby consolidate what they have been learning.
Third-year students pursue ongoing studies on cross-cultural understanding and the development of a sustainable society ahead of a training trip to Singapore
to be undertaken in December. At the same time, each student works on a graduate research project by deciding on a theme that links SDGs with their own
interests and producing an original paper. The contents of this paper are then summarized on slides that are presented to the class. Exceptional papers arepresented in front of and shared with the whole grade and younger classes. Support is provided to students to ensure that viewpoints that link their identity withsolutions to social issues are learned through three years of studies.

20

Learning by high school students
At the beginning of the school year, first-year high school students go on a three-day, two-nightorientation camp primarily for the purpose of “learning how to learn”. As part of the program, students try
to come up with a plan for solving societal issues in groups with members from different groups and taketime to make proposals and presentations. (In fiscal year 2019, students worked on a plan for using mobile
sales vehicles as set forth as a question in an entrance examination for Miyagi University.) Afterwards,
students learn about careers based on the use of commercially available workbooks and engage ingroups in studies for international understanding for which SDGs are treated as a starting point. The entire
grade is divided into seventeen groups, which are then further subdivided into smaller groups. Under thisPresentations on studies for internationalarrangement, students then learn by (i) comparing communities that are effectively working to attain goals
understanding are made before the entire grade.
with those that are not and analyzing the causes behind the differences that are revealed, (ii) identifying
companies that are enthusiastically working to attain goals and introducing the contents of their initiatives,and (iii) establishing their own hypothetical company and considering and proposing the contents ofthe business to be run by their company. Each small group will present their findings and proposals andshare what they learned with the entire grade by having a representative make a presentation in front of
everyone. Foreign exchange students will also be invited and asked to give advice on the contents ofthese presentations. Learning will be further expanded at a social gathering for interested students.
Second-year students will engage in peace studies by learning about the Second World War, theatomic bombings, and the aerial attacks on Sendai using books, documents, academic papers, and videos.
Learning about peace at the time of the atomic
What is learned will be reinforced through talks given by atomic bombing victims and visits to atomic
bombing.
bombing sites with volunteers during a study trip to be taken in December. At the end of this trip, students
will break off into groups to engage in discussions in English with the assistance of foreign exchange students, summarize and present proposals to the entire
grade on what can be done to create a peaceful society. Each student will also learn about careers using commercially available booklets and consolidate
their ESD studies at the end of the school year by way of the production of a statement of purpose to be submitted to institutions of higher learning.
Third-year students will refine the statement of purpose they began preparing at the end of the preceding school year by engaging in collaborative learningwith each other, attending lectures and receiving feedback from special guests, and participating in lecture presentations and taking advantage of training
opportunities on their own. While most students will likely go on to university, the school will help each student make the best choice for solving social
issues he or she would like to address irrespective of whether such a choice is unconventional or objectionable to others and thereby become creators of asustainable society in the future.

Learning through study tours
ESD has been made one of the pillars of learning for events involving overnight stays foreach grade, with the exception of the third and final year of high school.
At a camp held in Iwate in October for first-year junior high school students, participants
engage in cold-climate field work and learn about World Heritage sites in Hiraizumi incollaboration with Iwate University.
Second-year junior high school students go on a study trip to Tokyo in February to visit
ministries, agencies, and companies working to attain SDGs. They will also be presented with
an opportunity to gain cross-cultural understanding through interactions with exchange students.
Third-year junior high school students participating in a study trip to Singapore in December
gain opportunities to think about a sustainable society in terms of resources at such sites as the
NEWater Visitor Centre as well as an opportunity to ponder matters of cross-cultural significancethrough interactions with people working locally for Japanese companies and students attending
the National University of Singapore.
At an orientation camp held in April in Fukushima for first-year high school students,
participants deepen their understanding of ESD and collaborative learning through groupwork.
During a study trip to Hiroshima and Kansai organized for second-year high school students
in December, participants visit World Heritage sites in Miyajima, learn about peace in Hiroshima,and study ESD in Kobe and Osaka.
On the third day of fieldwork in particular, fieldwork is divided into around twenty courses andundertaken accordingly with the assistance of the Tohoku Consortium of UNESCO-Associated
Schools and support of RCE Hyogo-Kobe. Participants share the contents of their learning
through a process of reflection. By also making comparisons with Hyogo’s life-oriented ESD,
each student is able to take advantage of a highly meaningful learning opportunity to think
deeply about his or her own school’s ESD and future path.

All participants engage in reflection with the help of
RCE Hyogo-Kobe.

Participants carrying out fieldwork.

21

Fukushima Prefectural Adachi High School
964-0904
Tel. 0243-22-0016
https://adachi-h.fcs.ed.jp/

An overview of a UNESCO-associated school
At this school, reconstruction education based on the current state of Fukushima in the wake of the Great East Japan
Earthquake was begun in fiscal year 2012. In addition, ESD (education for sustainable development) was adopted as
the central component of educational activities. In recognition of the positive benefits that resulted from these decisions,this school became the first high school in Fukushima Prefecture to be accredited as a UNESCO-associated school in
December 2012.
The goal of education at this school is to “develop human resources who can lead better lives in the society of the
future”. The school is working to attain this goal through a dual-prong approach by which it enhances basic knowledge andexperiences (school classes) and encourages students to ask questions with no apparent answers (ESD). The school is
now running inquiry-based activities based on sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a concrete guide for proceeding.
The key steps that are followed over the course of the three years a student attends this school are as follows. In thefirst year, ESD and SDGs are explored and poster sessions are organized through various activities centered around thepromotion of international understanding. In the second year, presentations based on activities carried out over the previous
year are made in front of the entire student body. In the third year, students leverage their experiences to date in pursuit ofwhatever future paths they wish to take.

Education for international understanding
This school has gained momentum in terms of enhancing
activities for the promotion of international understanding byparticipating in the OECD Tohoku School and in an international
conference of UNESCO-associated schools. It has sincethen engaged in the following activities and helped hone theirstudents’ qualities.
In July of each year, students belonging to Dartmouth College
in the United States arrive to continue exchange activities withstudents. In fiscal year 2015, an overseas summertime language
studies program operating in Australia was launched. Postearthquake disaster reconstruction efforts and the current stateof reconstruction are reported to local residents. A global camp
and talks delivered by dispatched lecturers are organized througha joint project with JICA Nihonmatsu. Lecture presentations
given by Marie Louise Towari, a native of Rwanda and residentof Fukushima Prefecture, are held annually. Some graduates
have indicated their desire to someday join the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers and make a difference in developing
countries.

Students participating in a study abroad program.

Interacting with students from Dartmouth College.

22

Public ESD presentations
At this school, ESD presentations that are open to the public and that are undertaken by the entire student body areheld to allow each group to explore and present on a theme of their choice. Presentations are made all morning by groups
selected by each second-year class while presentations by study-abroad groups and volunteer organizations are given in
the afternoon. As there is a different theme for these presentations each year, you can see how the interests of high school
students in Fukushima Prefecture have changed since the earthquake. While themes after the earthquake largely dealt withsuch topics as reputational damage and renewable energy, they now encompass everything from LGBT issues, nursingcare issues, and child abuse to matters concerning water resources. At the same time, presentations on the contents ofactivities are also given through posters.

Students make a presentation.

Posters on display.

Partnerships with schools and local businesses and other activities
Exchanges with schools across Japan and overseas have been
carried out in connection with the provision of reconstruction education.
For example, tours of and exploratory meetings concerning disasteraffected areas, such as Iitate Village, have been conducted with Hyogo
Prefectural Kitasuma High School.
This school has also worked with a junior high school affiliated with
the Kyoto University of Education, engaged in discussions with them ata national summit of junior and senior high school students, and visitedthe Fukushima evacuation zone together. Students have participatedin Fukushima Prefectural Futaba Future Gakuen High School’s JICA
Global Camp and attended lectures given by experts in different fields
pertaining to international understanding.
The school applied to the ACCU-organized International Collaborative
Learning Project in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 and engaged incollaborative learning with overseas schools on the topic of food in
different countries. Through investigations and research conducted
for this project, the school was able to strengthen its links to the local
government and various businesses, including Nihonmatsu City Hall,
Kunitaya Brewery, Nanakusa Farm, and JA Michinoku Adachi. These
links remain in place to this day and help support education in theschool.

Participants in an exchange program.

A student checks out rice grown inFukushima.

23

Aizu UNESCO Association
3-50 Sakaemachi, Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture 965-0871
Aizuwakamatsu City Board of Education Lifelong Learning Center(Aizu Training Hall)
Tel. 0242-22-4700

ESD that reflects the hopes of Aizu for world peace andthe happiness of people everywhere
The Aizu UNESCO Association was established by local volunteers on
November 18, 1980. Presently, there are ninety-four members, including juridical
persons. From the time of its establishment, it has pursued activities across allof Aizu in order to realize a sustainable society for everyone without exception
as a way to help expand the extent to which the UNESCO Constitution applies
while wishing for peace and happiness for people throughout the world.
Within the areas in which activities are being carried out, six UNESCOassociated primary and junior high schools (five primary schools and one juniorhigh school) have been established. A combined junior and senior high school in
Aizuwakamatsu City is currently in the process of applying to join their ranks. In
Annual general conference.
this way, these schools are gradually spreading in the community.
As key activities, the Aizu UNESCO Association has been focused on
developing human resources by providing ongoing support for UNESCO-associated schools; holding exhibitions of children’s
artwork for kindergartens, daycare centers, and certified centers for early childhood education and care and UNESCO essaywriting contents for primary schools; and continuously collecting spoiled postcards in partnership with local community
centers and educational institutions. It has also established a program to award persons of merit who have made distinctive
contributions to local culture and has been engaged in activities to pass on and conserve elements of local cultural heritage
for the purpose of conserving the traditions and culture of the Aizu area.

A bell of peace whose ringing reverberates throughout the world
The Aizu UNESCO Association is proactively promoting ESD in accordance with the watchword: We must build afortress of peace within the hearts of people . At the end of July of each year, a campaign is organized to get people
to ring a bell of peace in a bell-ringing hall situated on the grounds of Aizu-Wakamatsu (Tsurugajo) Castle. The ringing
of this bell represents a powerful assertion of the significance of the existence of people made to the world and future
generations and a call for more cooperation and support. Visitors to Tsurugajo Castle are invited to ring this bell andlend their support.
It is said that bell keepers took turns ringing this bell, the solemn sounds of which can be formidable indeed, during
the Boshin War to announce the time even as the western army advanced and the fighting raged. Many foreign visitors
also participate in this campaign to make this activity a cosmopolitan affair consistent with Goal 16 of the SDGs.

A full view of the bell-ringing hall.

24

Visitors ring the bell.

Activity supporters.

Seeking to cultivate a rich sensitivity and develop a greater zeal for providing mutual support
Local children and youth residing in Aizu eagerly participate in exhibitions ofchildren’s artwork, essay-writing contests, and UNESCO classes organized by the
Aizu UNESCO Association as well as the nationwide campaign to collect spoiled
postcards. It is through such activities that future leaders are being developed. The
pictures produced by these young people reflect their exceptional sensitivity and area source of encouragement for the participants and great joy for their parents, andare received favorably by members of the general public, who take great pleasure in
A children’s painting exhibition put on byappreciating the art on display.
the Aizu UNESCO Association.
As an opportunity for children to learn about the role of UNESCO as a United
Nations organization, UNESCO classes are to be held at three primary and junior highschools a year in the Kita-Aizu district beginning this fiscal year. UNESCO members
serve as lecturers and explain what sorts of activities are carried out by UNESCO.
Essay-writing contests for children attending schools where UNESCO classes are held
have been organized. UNESCO classes are seen as being highly meaningful since
they allow children to regard the activities of UNESCO as being familiar to them.
For the campaign to collect spoiled postcards, work to ask for and collect postcards
A UNESCO classroom.
from primary and junior high schools in the Kita-Aizu district, primary and junior highschools in Tadami Town, and primary schools in neighboring towns is being carriedout. In addition, collection boxes have been set up in community centers in the city and the general public too has been called
upon to cooperate with this campaign. This activity is one that allows an international contribution to be made with just a single
postcard. It represents an excellent opportunity to get children and students to turn their attention to the world and think about
the reality behind the existence of 750 million illiterate people in east Asia in particular and elsewhere around the globe.

Working to share and continue preserving and passing on local culture together
The Aizu UNESCO Association established an award for persons of merit who have made distinctive contributions to local
culture in 2004 to help preserve elements of cultural heritage remaining in the community for posterity and facilitate the evolution
and bequeathing to future generations of local culture. To date, awards have been conferred in fourteen cases, including one forhebi no gonenshi (Suzumebayashi, Aizu-Misato Town), saotome odori (dance) (Kobayashi Saotome Preservation Society), andkagura (dance) (Yanaizu Town). The organizations that have been conferred this award have expressed their delight in winning it.
For local stakeholders concerned about the shortage of people who can keep these cultural traditions alive, this award provides
substantial encouragement to persist with efforts to preserve and pass on these traditions. The Aizu area is home to the likesof the Thirty-Three Aizu Kannon Pilgrimage Sites, which was designated a Japanese heritage site in 2016, and Nisshinkan
Astronomical Observatory Heritage Site, which was designated a Japanese astronomical observatory heritage site in 2019. How
these valuable sites should be promoted and preserved in the future remains an important question to be answered.

Aizu Misato Town: Heralding the arrival of theYear of the Snake.

Kobayashi Preservation Society: Saotome
dance.

Yanaizu Town: Kagura dance.

25

Miyagi Prefecture Tagajo High School
2-17-1 Kasagami, Tagajo-shi, Miyagi Prefecture 985-0831
Tel. 022-366-1225 Fax: 022-366-1226
E-mail: tagajo-hs@od.myswan.ed.jp
https://tagajo-hs.myswan.ed.jp/

ESD Study Presentations, an anniversary event
On October 15, 2019, an ESD Study Presentations event
was held in the gymnasium of this school. With guests
consisting of Tomonori Ichinose, an ESD researcher at the
Miyagi University of Education Research Center for Educationin International Understanding, and Hironobu Watanabe, aschool trustee, this event featured presentations given by
students in the school based on what they learned in terms of
ESD in the preceding semester.

(1) World Tsunami Day 2019 High School Students’ Summit in Hokkaido

Students made presentations of activities, shared information, and engaged in interactions to promote the studyof the threat of tsunamis and measures that can be implemented to address this threat together with high school
students from around the world.

(2) National Disaster-Prevention Junior Leaders Development Camp Tohoku

Students participated in activities held at Tagajo High School, the National Hanayama Youth Outdoor Learning
Center, and Mt. Kurikoma Area Geopark Center facilities in August. Junior high school and high school students
from across Japan – from Hokkaido to Kumamoto – gathered together to explore disaster-prevention and disastermitigation initiatives implemented by each school and discuss future challenges.

(3) Exchanges with high schools in other prefectures

Students from Maiko High School, which offers a course of study in disaster prevention, and other high schools
in Hyogo Prefecture and high school students from Kochi Prefecture, where disaster-prevention education with afocus on measures to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake is provided, have visited this school, strolled around
Tagajo City, and participated in workshops.

(4) Tsurugaya reconstruction housing volunteers

Members of the volunteer club have volunteered in various different capacities on Tsurugaya reconstruction
housing projects for some time now in the context of project-based learning (PBL). This year, students participatedas volunteers for a summer festival for residents in connection with these projects.

(5) Joint training with SSH-designated schools (Hokkaido Muroran Sakae
High School and Hokkaido Kushiro Koryo High School)・First- and second-year volunteers enrolled in the disaster science program participated in group tours of Toya
Lake and Mt. Usu and conducted experiments at the Muroran Institute of Technology together with students
from Hokkaido Muroran Sakae High School.
・First-year volunteers enrolled in the disaster science program participated in a group tour of the Kushiro Marshand attended a lecture presented at a wildlife conservation center together with students from Kushiro Koryo
High School.

(6) SSH student research presentations

Four third-year students enrolled in the disaster science program participated in a national event showcasingpresentations by students belonging to SSH schools (in Kobe) and presented their research on the topic of urban
tsunami risk predictions.

26

(7) Tsukuba Training (skill-upgrading training course I) and Kanto Training(skill-upgrading training course II)・First-year students enrolled in the disaster science program visited the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA), National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED), and Geological Museumin Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and underwent practical training on preventing and mitigating disasters.
・Second-year students enrolled in the disaster science program visited the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth
Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI) in Yokosuka City,
Kanagawa Prefecture, and gained valuable exposure to cutting-edge science and also learned about disasterprevention by participating in a walking tour of Yokohama in Yokohama City (Yamate and Yamashita course)
centered around the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Day 2019

【Purpose】
The purpose of this day is to train high school students who seek to acquire knowledge and skills pertaining todisaster prevention and autonomously cooperate with and engage in disaster-prevention and disaster-mitigation initiatives
as junior disaster-prevention leaders in Miyagi in order to support the future of Miyagi and cultivate next-generation
leaders of voluntary organizations for disaster prevention and other persons who will be responsible for local disasterprevention activities in the future. In addition, high school students from across the country presented their own research
results and engaged in discussions through workshops with the aim of passing on the experiences and lessons learned
from the Great East Japan Earthquake to future generations and help mitigate disasters in Japan and overseas.

27

Miyagi Prefecture Tomiya High School
2-1-1 Narita, Tomiya City, Miyagi Prefecture 981-3341
Tel. 022-351-5111
E-mail: tomiya-h-unesco@od.myswan.ed.jp
https://tomiya-h.myswan.ed.jp

What we aim to achieve with ESD● Aims of ESD
・To develop human resources capable of sharing various values, becoming aware of the connections between
global issues and themselves, and creating a sustainable society.

● Skills to be cultivated through ESD (qualities, abilities, and attitude)
・Qualities that enable students to move away from being taught and to instead think about matters together with others;
・An attitude that encourages students to regard themselves as global citizens and share various different values;
・A willingness to regard various issues and problems as matters that are personally important;・The ability to consider matters and analyze materials.

Practical examples● Designing a period for engaging in a comprehensive inquiry based on thetheme of sustainable community development
・First year: Learning about issues in terms of SDGs based on the use of original texts.
Foster global citizenship by repeating a cycle of collaborative study, thinking, research, and presentations onsuch topics as providing high-quality education to all and concrete measures for addressing climate change.

・Second year: Students discover what is being carried out locally to solve global issues and visit nearby facilities
to obtain hints for solutions, hone a sense of ownership when it comes to solving problems, and pursue theirown research tasks. A transformation in students’ conduct is encouraged in line with a broadening of theirhorizons. (To be implemented beginning in 2020.)
・Third year: Students will summarize the results of their efforts to date, develop their ability to galvanize andcommunicate with others to enable actions to be carried out in collaboration with as many people as possible,
and present their results. (From 2021.)28

● ESD lectures
・Workshop for thinking about the problem of child labor.

A workshop is held by inviting an instructor from ACE, an
NGO dedicated to protecting children around the worldfrom being exploited for child labor.

Students are split up into groups to think about why the
problem of child labor occurs.

Students learn that the problem of child labor is heavily
connected to our consumption patterns and discuss whatshould be done to address this matter.

・Workshop for learning about environmental issues and chemical technologies.

How Will 5G Change the World? By Assistant Professor Kazuma
Suzuki of the National Institute of Technology, Sendai College.

How to Use the Energy of the Future by Professor Hiroshi
Yamada of the National Institute of Technology, Sendai College.

The True Story of Warming by Associate Professor Masaru
Sekido of the National Institute of Technology, Sendai College.

The Truth About and Future of Water by AssistantProfessor Yoshihisa Miyazaki of the National Institute ofTechnology, Sendai College.

A Recycling Society in the Context of SDGs: There Are
Ways We Can All Contribute by Dr. Tokuzo Nishino,
professor emeritus at Tohoku University.

Under the guidance of Dr. Ginro Endo, a visiting professor at Tohoku Gakuin University’s
Research Institute for Engineering and Technology, students were able to personallyconduct a water quality survey on actual water samples obtained from the Mekong River.

● Activities of the UNESCO Committee
・Primary school student exchange session for activities in support of refugees.
The UNESCO Committee visited nearby Narita Primary
School and Narita Higashi Primary School and held an exchange
session for sixth graders to organize a collection of children’s
clothing to be delivered to refugees. Students were taught inclear terms that half of all refugees are children just like themand other pertinent facts. Afterwards, students worked together tocreate educational posters and put them up inside their school.
・Japan-China friendship tree exchange ceremony based on the theme of the environment.

Following a presentation delivered by the Faculty of Natural Sciences on realizing Tomiya City’s goal of a hydrogen-based society, participants
looked over an assessment of the extent to which SDGs have been attained in Japan and China. After a commemorative tree planting ceremony was
held, two UNESCO Committee members from each class invited Chinese high school students to accompany them to their class and enjoy spending
a day as classmates. These students also got a chance to try out various club activities.
In addition to the foregoing activities, members of the UNESCO Committee also actively participate in various events as representatives of thisschool both inside and outside the school.

29

Tohoku Regional ESD Activities Support Center
Sendai No. 2 Joint Government Building 1F, 3-2-23 Honcho, Aoba-ku,
Sendai-shi, Miyagi Prefecture 980-0014
Tel. 022-393-9615 Fax. 022-290-7181
E-mail: info@tohoku-esdcenter.jp
https://tohoku.esdcenter.jp/

Intermediate support for ESD activities and initiatives
for the attainment of SDGs in Tohoku
An ESD activities support center is a platform based on publicprivate collaborations that has been established to further promote
the EPO. Regional ESD centers have been set up at eight sites
nationwide. Exercising jurisdiction over Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi,
Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima prefectures, the Tohoku Regional
ESD Activities Support Center provides support for the further
revitalization and promotion of ESD activities on everyone’s partby bringing together initiatives by various different organizations
and actors, including schools, organs of public administration,companies, specialized agencies, and citizens.

Local ESD activity promotion centers
On the frontlines of school and social education, various actors are engaged in learning and activities
pertaining to the resolution of local and societal issues. There is a program that allows local organizations
and facilities supporting ESD to be registered as local ESD activity promotion centers. Fourteen
organizations have been registered in the Tohoku area (as of December 2020).
The Tohoku Regional ESD Activities Support Center and local
ESD activity promotion centers work together as partners withthe aim of deepening ESD activities and learning, broadening
opportunities and settings for learning, and increasing the ranks ofleaders in this field.
＊

The list of local ESD centers can be seen by visiting the official
website of the ESD Activities Support Center:https://esdcenter.jp/
kyoten/Meeting for the Environment of Earth30

Study tour for SDGs

Developing opportunities for interactions and mutual learning
ESD is stated in 4.7 of the section on SDGs and contributes to the attainment of all seventeen goals
through the development of leaders for a sustainable society. It is believed that the further promotionof ESD will directly and indirectly lead to the attainment of SDGs. Accordingly, the Tohoku ESD/
SDGs Forum is held with the aim of attracting interested people from various backgrounds and creating
opportunities for interactions and mutual learning.
On February 9, 2020, a forum was held in Sendai and attended by 147 participants from all overTohoku. A keynote speech based on the theme of perspectives for making SDGs your own personal goals
was given. During the second half of this event, ESD case studies involving universities, organs of public
administration, NPOs, high schools, and various other players from across the prefecture were introduced.
Participants indicated that they felt that SDGs and ESD were enjoying an increasingly higher profileand that they personally found it to be incredibly rewarding to see, hear, and learn about the diversity of
initiatives being undertaken.

Tohoku ESD/SDGs Forum

Presentation in ESD/SDGs Forum

Supporting ESD activities in the Tohoku region
With the aim of expanding and mobilizing ESD activities in each area, we work with local ESD activity
promotion centers, organize local ESD workshops, and help hold study sessions with a focus on ESD and
SDGs.

Workshop in Hachinohe Technology Uni., high school

Workshop in Toougakkan high school

31

Conclusion
This booklet introduces Satellite district and collaborative school practices of the
ESD/UNESCO-Associated School Tohoku Consortium. We have prepared another report which
describes concreate curriculums and programs of four main district. We recommend accessing
website, homepages and contacting each board of education and schools.
The purpose of this booklet is to announce Tohoku Consortium’s districts and schools’ practices
which tackle to the SDGs 17 goals and promote human resources for creating sustainable society(ESD). We have added two activities to the last version of this booklet.
This year, each member has a lot of limitation for promoting activities under the COVID-19
situation. In the next version of this booklet, we will show you each members’ eﬀort for tackling
COVI-19 situation.
26th February 2021
Takaaki KOGANEZAWA

The list of authors
Tomoyukui TUKUDA(Hiraizumi Town Board of Education)
Hiroshi ONODERA(Kesennuma City Board of Education)
Kohei SUZUKI(Osaki City Industrial economy department GIAHS section)
Tomoo ITO(Tadami Town Board of Education)
Satoshi SHIMADA(Daisen City Board of Education)
Terumasa KOMATSUSHIRO(Miyagi Prefecture Kesennuma High school)
Naito KEIKO(Sendai UNESCO Assciation)
Ryuichi SHIBATA(Tohou Gakuin Secondary School)
Takashi CHIBA(Fukushima Prefecture Adachi High school)
Chikako HASHIMOTO(Aizu UNESCO Association)
Atsushi SUGAWARA(Miyagi Prefecture Tagajo High school)
Satoshi SEKIGUCHI(Miyagi Prefecture Tomiya High school)
Mikiko SUZUKI(Tohoku District ESD activities Support Center)
Coordinator
Tomonori ICHINOSE(Miyagi University of Education Research Institution for Teacher Training and Development)
Takaaki KOGANEZAWA(Miyagi University of Education Emeritus Professor)
Administration Oﬃce
Miyagi University of Education Section of Academic cooperation

32

ESD/SDGs in
ESD/UNESCO Associated School andTohoku Consortium(Miyagi University of Education)

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