High School Students Create Their Own 'Textbook': Shiga Prefectural Moriyama Kita High School's Mirai Kyosou Department and Shishu Shoin Co-Create 'Textbook for the Future'

Shiga Prefectural Moriyama Kita High School launched a new academic department, the 'Mirai Kyosou Department,' in April 2025. The first- and second-year students from this department have now produced a comprehensive learning handbook titled 'Textbook for the Future — Learning About the Community and Your Future at Morikita's Mirai Kyosou Department.' This publication compiles their experiences in regional collaboration and career education from the school-designed subject 'Mirai Kyosou,' making their learning journey visible and tangible.

Published by Shishu Shoin, a micro-publisher based in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, this innovative 'co-creation textbook' was developed through approximately one and a half months of intensive discussions between students and an editorial team. The final product authentically reflects the students’ personal values and aspirations. The creation process and the completed booklet were publicly unveiled on July 15, 2026, coinciding with the press conference of the Shiga Prefectural Superintendent of Education.

Creating a 'Living Textbook' for a New Discipline Without Existing Textbooks

The 'Mirai Kyosou Department' was established in April 2025 at Moriyama Kita High School. Its core subject, 'Mirai Kyosou,' has no existing textbooks or commercially available reference materials. The curriculum is highly practical, using not only the school but also the local community and businesses as learning fields, requiring students to actively engage and learn through trial and error. From the planning stages to the present, the school has continuously refined its approach through hands-on experimentation.

By the time students reached the midpoint of the curriculum, they had accumulated real experiences of failure and growth. To systematize these experiences and create a 'living textbook' for future classes and to pass on to juniors, the school initiated this publication project. Rather than distributing materials created solely by staff, the students themselves reflected on their journey and worked with a local publisher to package their experiences into a book. This process not only fosters pride in their learning but is also expected to serve as a public relations tool to inform middle school students considering their future paths and other schools promoting comprehensive inquiry-based learning.

A One-and-a-Half-Month Collaborative Process: Carefully Capturing Students’ Honest Voices and Ideas

Over the course of about one and a half months, the editorial team visited the school multiple times to engage in deep dialogue with the students.

'We want the design to be intuitive and not just text-heavy.'

'We want to express things in our own words, honestly and realistically.'

'We want the book to empathize with the nervousness and mindset when going on an internship for the first time.'

These and other candid suggestions from students were carefully extracted and incorporated. Through repeated revisions of content and design in collaboration with students, the final product transcends a mere activity log, embodying authenticity and warmth born from genuine co-creation.

A passionate listening session between the editorial team and students held in a classroom after school

Moriyama Kita High School students who co-created the booklet through ongoing dialogue

Key Structure of the Booklet: Systematizing Three Years of Learning and Community Practice

The completed 'Textbook for the Future' is structured not merely to list curriculum outlines and activity records, but to bridge the gap between the school-designed 'curriculum' and the 'students’ real feelings.' Designed from the students’ perspective rather than an adult’s, it captures the authentic reality of 'co-creation' with the following features:

Explaining the Unique Learning Approach and Three-Year Flow of the 'Mirai Kyosou Department'

The booklet begins by redefining 'co-creation'—a term unfamiliar to many students—as a new method of learning. It outlines what new students will engage with over their three years and what goals they will pursue, serving as an introductory section that alleviates anxiety and provides a clear vision for the future.

Introducing Actual 'Co-Creation' Events

The booklet details various fieldwork activities undertaken by Mirai Kyosou students, such as exploring the history of the Nakasendo Road in Moriyama City, studying Lake Biwa’s water environment, and agricultural experiences, as well as community-linked events. It thoroughly documents the trial-and-error processes from actual projects.

Focus on 'Internships'

With internships planned in Moriyama City this summer—including a first-of-its-kind placement for high school students in the city’s Citizen Collaboration Division—many practical pages are dedicated to pre- and post-internship guidance. Beyond mere job experience, it includes hints for formulating questions from on-site insights and checklists for mental preparation on the day of the internship.

To bridge the gap between the 'curriculum' and 'student experiences,' careful attention was paid to language and visual expression. In particular, to lower the barrier to reading text, the design emphasizes intuitive, simple visuals.

Excerpts from the completed 'Textbook for the Future' handbook, featuring easy-to-understand illustrations and interactive worksheets

Future Outlook: Taking This Textbook into the Larger Classroom of the Community

Moriyama Kita High School’s Mirai Kyosou Department plans to widely use this textbook in future classes, orientations, and trial enrollment programs. Beyond the school, it will be distributed to nearby middle schools and other high schools as a reference for comprehensive inquiry-based learning, aiming to expand connections and establish a new model of education leveraging regional resources.

This booklet will serve as a strong tool to support students as they meet diverse adults in the community, deepen dialogue, and forge their own futures.

※Part of the production and printing costs for this booklet were supported by the Mitsubishi Mirai Ikusei Foundation under Category I of its grant program: 'Programs to Drive the Engine of the Heart, Implemented by High Schools and Other Institutions in School Settings.'

◾️ Book Information

Title: 'Textbook for the Future — Learning About the Community and Your Future at Morikita's Mirai Kyosou Department'

Produced by: Shiga Prefectural Moriyama Kita High School

Supervised by: Shintaro Taguchi (Lecturer, Seian University of Art and Design)

Hayato Ueda (Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Impact Lab)

Release Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Publisher: Shishu Shoin

Specifications: A4 size, 30 pages

ISBN: 978-4-909896-20-9

Price: N/A (Not for sale)

【Inquiries】

School Name: Shiga Prefectural Moriyama Kita High School (Curriculum Office, Mirai Kyosou Promotion Room)

Contact: Mugitani (Head of Mirai Kyosou Department), Sasaki (Vice Principal)

Address: 1263 Kasaharacho, Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture

Phone: 077-585-0431

Email: [email protected]