#Japan #Shinagawa #Children's Material Center #Ennosita

Launching a New Era of Creative Learning in Shinagawa

On October 20, 2025, the Children's Material Center, operated by Ennosita, will officially open at Shinagawa City Lab. This initiative is designed to promote sustainable learning through the recycling of unused materials into educational resources, enhancing children's creativity and exploration. As part of a collaborative open innovation platform led by the Shinagawa Ward, this center aims to bridge the gap between local resources and educational needs.

Purpose and Significance of the Children’s Material Center

In recent years, the importance of inquiry-based learning, where children independently think, experiment, and innovate, has surged in educational settings. However, many schools and childcare facilities face challenges in securing diverse materials necessary for this hands-on exploration. There remains a wealth of unused resources, such as wood, fabric, and natural materials, accumulating in local communities and businesses.

The Children's Material Center is established to address this discrepancy, creating a new model for material circulation that focuses on repurposing unused items from the community and businesses. By transforming these materials into valuable resources for educational purposes, the center aims to turn potential waste into assets that support children’s learning and creativity. This initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in promoting responsible consumption and quality education.

What to Expect from the Center

The Children's Material Center will focus on the following:

• - Material Collection: Collaborating with businesses to gather unused resources and categorize them in line with safety standards, converting them into “exploratory materials” for use in learning environments.
• - Wide Accessibility: Making these resources available to a broad range of users, including kindergartens, schools, and local organizations.
• - Workshops: Facilitating activities that support children's play and artistic expression, thereby enhancing their hands-on learning experiences.
• - Local Circular Economy Model: Serving as a sustainable model that facilitates community engagement and promotes a circular economy.

The center is located in Tokyo, Shinagawa Ward, 5-9-11 Yashio, on the third floor of the former Yashio Minami Elementary School, specifically within the Community Plaza Yashio.

Opening Events

The center will kick off with a pre-opening event on October 19, 2025, featuring a preview for select individuals, interactive workshops, and networking sessions. The official opening will follow on October 20, where the center will welcome visitors from 10 AM to 8 PM (by reservation) and is aimed at professionals in education and childcare, as well as community members involved in local activities.

Moreover, plans are underway to further expand educational and childcare programs using these unused materials, with an upcoming community event scheduled on December 14, 2025, aimed at fostering connections among local residents and families.

Message from the Representative

Kota Miyazato, the CEO of Ennosita, emphasizes the vital connection between children and diverse materials. “In my experience as a consultant in early childhood education and an educator who interacts daily with children, I have witnessed the incredible moments when children discover materials that inspire their creativity. Materials, in essence, are treasures for children. Our goal with the Children's Material Center is to create a systematic approach for circulating these materials within our communities, thereby enriching children's learning and fostering creativity,” he states.

Company Overview

Ennosita was founded in August 2025 and is based in Tokyo, Shinagawa Ward. The company’s mission revolves around four pillars aimed at creating a sustainable society centered on children. This includes educational management support, material circulation for educational settings, development and sale of teaching materials, and promoting partnerships between the community and education.

Through the Children's Material Center, Ennosita seeks to establish a nationwide impact by strengthening collaborations with local governments and businesses, enhancing educational resources, and promoting a circular economy that benefits both children and the community at large.

For inquiries related to this initiative, contact Mika Kouda, Education & Sustainability Coordinator at Ennosita, via email at [email protected] or visit their official website at ennoshita.net.