morinoyouchien.org

What It Is

morinoyouchien.org is the official website of the “Specified Nonprofit Corporation Forest Kindergarten National Network Federation” (特定非営利活動法人 森のようちえん全国ネットワーク連盟). It is more of an industry network and training gateway for nature-based childcare/forest kindergartens in Japan than a standardized MOOC platform. The site is centered on the concept of “森のようちえん” (forest kindergarten): childcare, early childhood care, and early education for children from age 0 to around 7 based on experiences in nature. Here, “forest” is used broadly to include natural settings such as forests, the sea, rivers, satoyama landscapes, fields, and urban parks.

Core Content and Dimensions

In terms of courses, the site provides information on instructor training programs, safety courses, national exchange forums, online salons, and seaside activity safety courses. Its focus is not academic subject training, but practical nature-based childcare, safety for young children’s outdoor activities, practitioner exchange, and institutional networking. Regarding certification, the main text explicitly mentions “森のようちえん団体安全認証” and a list of organizations with safety certification. However, it does not specify individual completion certificates, certification levels, or assessment methods. The teaching language is basically Japanese, and activities are mostly held across Japan, with some online streaming or online salon options.

Pricing and Organizational Background

The collected text mentions a 2026 course pamphlet, an online shop, membership, and donations, but does not disclose specific course prices, membership fees, or payment methods. The organization has a relatively solid background: the national forum began in 2005, a voluntary organizational network was formed in 2008, and the NPO corporation was established in 2017. As of the end of May 2026, it reports 316 organizational members and 142 individual members. Its board members come from nature schools, NPOs, and forest kindergarten organizations in regions such as Hokkaido, Nagano, Chiba, Nara, Hiroshima, Okinawa, and Tokyo.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are a clear industry positioning, a strong nationwide network, and coverage of philosophy dissemination, practitioner training, safety workshops, certification, research, and policy recommendations, making it a suitable entry point into Japan’s nature-based childcare sector. Its publicly available activity reports, financial materials, and organizational structure also improve its credibility. The limitation is that course product information is insufficient: class hours, fees, instructor arrangements, registration requirements, and certificate validity all need to be confirmed on specific event pages or in the pamphlet. In addition, the site displays WordPress Warning messages, which gives an average impression of technical maintenance.

Who It Is For and Access from China

It is suitable for kindergarten teachers, childcare workers, nature experience instructors, outdoor activity leaders, forest kindergarten operators, and parents or researchers interested in learning about nature-based childcare in Japan. For users in China, language and offline participation are the main barriers. The site’s direct accessibility from mainland China cannot be determined from the text alone, so it is assessed as unknown.