The final event of the summer of 2025 will be Campship Academy's long-awaited camp exclusively for preschoolers! The location for this grand adventure will be Oku-Hitachi Kirara Village in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
A total of 35 participants and 9 leaders travelled to Kirara no Sato by express train and chartered bus and enjoyed the nature together for two days and one night. 
Hitachi Express
In addition to the usual living groups, this time a buddy system was introduced for safety reasons, and children moved around in pairs, holding hands.
Some children burst into tears the moment they left their parents at Tokyo Station saying, "I'm off." However, once they boarded the express train and enjoyed their favorite sweets, smiles gradually began to appear, and within an hour, everyone was in a happy mood. It was amazing how quickly children could adapt.
Arrived at Okuhitachi Kirara Village and played outside
After arriving at Kirara Village and finishing lunch in a grassy area called Yamabiko Square, the children had a great time chasing dragonflies and grasshoppers that were flying around and running around the athletic equipment.
Under the hot sun, we traveled to a petting zoo where we encountered ponies and rabbits.
Shopping at the Kirara Candy Store
This program included many mechanisms to encourage children to become independent. One of these was shopping at a candy store with a 50 yen coin in hand. Children who were not yet able to read price tags decided on a sweet by asking older children or leaders, "Can I buy this?" They were also seen communicating with the kind cashier, asking questions like, "Do you have a spoon?" and "I want to open it, so I need scissors."
Japan's longest slide, Wakuwaku Slider
After this, each group will head to the exciting slide.
Pair up with a leader and grab the lever together and you're ready to go! At 1,188 meters long, it's the longest slide in Japan. Even on the sharp curves, you can easily control the brakes and slide down without stopping to reach the finish line! Well, you don't have to be sad to get off the sled... you can stay on the sled and return to the starting point.
Making curry
Next, the children split into four private cabins to prepare dinner. Watched over by the leaders, they took on the challenge of cutting carrots and onions with knives. Some children even took turns, waiting around the room once more to try again. These children's housekeeping skills show great promise for the future.
The curry we all worked together to create was incredibly delicious.
campfire
The night continues. Outside the cabin, a fire is lit at the car camping site, and it's time to roast marshmallows.
I also heard a voice from somewhere in the darkness say, "Are you scared? Let me grill it for you." It was a night that almost brought tears to my eyes. But these tears weren't caused by the smoke from the campfire... I'm sure.
Some children pointed to the stars and moon they saw in the pitch black sky and said, "How beautiful!" 
Once we got back to the cabin, we quickly got ready for bed and had a good night's sleep.
Morning of the second day
Good morning, it's the morning of the second day.
In the cabin where we were staying, one child moved to the leader's pillow near the crack of dawn and fell asleep (!?). I was able to sense this and wake up right on time, so I was grateful for that.
As soon as the children woke up, they started tidying up their bedding and luggage. Thanks to the excellent cooperation of the 3 to 5 year olds, they were able to tidy up neatly. We all had breakfast together in the cabin! We recharged our energy with bread and bananas.
Free play
Once the cabin is ready to depart, the children begin free play in the field in front of the entrance.
The most popular activity was insect catching. I'll never forget the sight of a kid coming over to show us a giant dragonfly that was bigger than his face, catching it with his hands. The Daruma-san ga Koronda game was so exciting that the leader was running around in earnest.
As the sun rose, the shaved ice machine appeared! Although it's cooler than Tokyo, shaved ice is still synonymous with summer. Of course, shaved ice with syrup is also a welcome addition.
Buy souvenirs at Hitachi Station and take the Hitachi Express train
When we arrived at Hitachi Station, we all headed to the station plaza to choose souvenirs. The children chose large sweets for their families and younger sisters and brothers. Among them was a panda dorayaki. Apparently, Hitachi City is promoting the attraction of giant pandas!
The children who met at Hitachi Station said goodbye early here! They had become such good friends that they wanted to go through the ticket gates together.
On the Hitachi Express, 80% of the children fell asleep as soon as they sat down, while 20% stayed awake the whole time, chatting with their neighbors. The children had more energy than the leaders had expected.
Goodbye at Tokyo Station
When we got off at Tokyo Station, we were reminded of how comfortable the temperature was in Hitachi. We passed through the ticket gates, where the setting sun was shining on the platform, and the excitement of the crowds gathered, and headed underground where our parents were waiting.
When I saw his smile light up when he spotted his family, I suddenly remembered that while he was having fun and looking innocent, he was also nervous and trying his best.
For many of the children, this was their first time staying overnight with someone other than their family. We were very happy to hear parents say, "It looked like fun, and we felt relieved."
We were very excited about the long-awaited toddler camp, and although there were some nervous moments, we are relieved that the children were able to return home to their parents without any serious injuries or accidents.
We hope that these two days will become irreplaceable "summer memories" for the children who participated, and we sincerely hope that they will come back again.
And above all, I would be happiest if the children could remember the excitement and thrill they felt at Hitachi Camp for the rest of their lives.
See you again at the camp ship.
