Owl Forest Nursery School

Name of the school	Social Welfare Corporation Ohisamakai Fukuro no Mori Nursery School
Delivery year	March 2018
Target/Item	Chairs, tables, lockers, partitions, built-in furniture, etc. for ages 0 to school age

Reason for introduction

Fukuro no Mori Nursery School was newly built as a corporate-led nursery school by SEED Co., Ltd. , a contact lens manufacturer located in Konosu City, Saitama Prefecture. The company manufactures all of its contact lenses in its domestic factories, rather than overseas. The company also outsources the operation of the nursery school to Ohisama-kai of Nagasaki Prefecture . As they insist on using Japanese-made products, rather than overseas-made products, they asked us to manufacture all of the nursery furniture.

Visit to a childcare furniture manufacturing factory

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Manufacturing that is particular about made in Japan. So what kind of manufacturing does Nakayoshi Library do? They said they wanted to see how things are made, so they came to visit a furniture factory in Kochi. They had imagined an automated factory, but the inside was a completely handmade workshop. After seeing the origins of manufacturing, they decided to make all their own original products.

Mixed-age childcare

At Fukuro no Mori Nursery School, children ages 3 to 5 learn and play together on one floor. The younger children learn by watching and imitating what the older children do, while the older children learn by taking care of the younger children.

The presence of furniture that is useful for childcare

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Nursery furniture should support children's learning. Based on the teacher's idea, the room should be divided gently, it should be easy to move around, and the back of the furniture should be an extension of play. Based on these conditions, an original storage locker was created.

Utilizing a trapezoidal table

We use trapezoidal tables in the lunchroom and nursery room because they can be adjusted to various shapes and because this reduces the number of children sitting opposite each other, allowing for better communication.

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Designed to stimulate children's curiosity

The lunch room is unique in that children can serve themselves and eat at their own convenience (whenever they want to eat). The glass wall of the kitchen also allows children to see inside, stimulating their curiosity.Stackable chairs are paired with a trapezoidal table made of Japanese cypress, allowing children between the ages of 3 and 5 to sit in their favorite chair and enjoy their meal.

Enjoyable library corner and picture book room

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There is a cafe corner next to the entrance that anyone can use, and behind it is a library corner that anyone can use. Picture books that are changed every month are displayed in a decorative way, and anyone can read them freely there. Nakayoshi Library created the cypress top of the cafe counter in that area, as well as a magatama-shaped table (made from Shimanto cypress). It was a new attempt, but we were able to create a good atmosphere that blends in with the surroundings.

The pros and cons of original production

One year after the completion of the Fukuro no Mori Nursery School, we visited the facility again to perform maintenance. Original furniture starts from a place where there is no history of use, so there are many things that you only notice after using it.

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For example, some people say that the drawers would be better if they were a little shallower, or thatthe partitions are difficult to put on and take off, or that children end up playing on them... On the other hand, we also receive a lot of positive feedback, such as "It's really smooth to the touch, so children enjoy using it," or "Visitors and parents say that the smell of the wood and the atmosphere inside the room look bright and fun."

Regular maintenance

Based on the feedback from actual users, we immediately review the product specifications and deliver the next product in an upgraded version. Working together with the nursery to improve the product and create new products, I think this is where the fun and learning comes in as we create nursery furniture together. Whenever I visit the Kanto area, I regularly drop in to perform maintenance and check on the product. I look forward to your continued support from everyone at Fukuro no Mori Nursery.