"Chigasaki Kodomo Marche 2026" for Moving Experiences to Be Held on October 25th; Registration for "Program Kids" to Join the Process Opens June 20th

The "Chigasaki Kodomo Marche 2026" will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the Chigasaki City Hall Plaza. The event is organized by the "Chigasaki Kodomo Marche Executive Committee," a group of citizen volunteers from Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. This will be the third consecutive year and the third time the event has been held, following 2024 and 2025.

Last year's event drew approximately 3,500 people. From past experience, we believe that the process of trial and error through "kids' meetings" and "workshops" with peers is a more invaluable experience for children than simply opening a store on the day. Therefore, we have prepared a comprehensive four-month program again this year.

We have now started recruiting program kids (individuals or groups of up to 3, from senior kindergarten to 9th grade) to participate in this series of programs and open their own shops at the "Chigasaki Kodomo Marche 2026."

80.5% of Children "Want to Participate Again." Parents Voice Seeing Growth and Stronger Bonds.

In post-event surveys from the past two years, 80.5% of the children who opened stores responded that they "want to participate again." We also received much feedback from parents who witnessed their children's growth and felt a stronger parent-child bond.

Voices on witnessing growth: - "On the day, my child provided customer service with a confidence I had never seen before; I saw them grow." - "They experienced for the first time the value of labor, its compensation, the worth of money, and a sense of accomplishment." - "They learned to listen to friends' opinions and find compromises instead of just pushing their own ideas." - "After a disappointing experience last year, they had great success this year. I realized that it's a valuable experience regardless of the outcome."

On parent-child bonds and shared involvement: - "I feel like I saw my child's 'true passion' for the first time." - "We were able to communicate and work together on creating products, which strengthened our bond." - "It was truly fun to share the entire process of 'creating, thinking, struggling, deciding, and enjoying' as a family. It became a lifelong memory."

The Process Leading Up to the Event is What We Cherish

While the market day, when a child's passion takes shape and blossoms, is a wonderful time, what we value most is the process leading up to it. Through repeated kids' meetings, they brainstorm shop ideas, create signboards, and give presentations to their peers. In this process of persevering, sometimes alone and sometimes with peers of different ages, and grasping diverse values, children develop various skills that will sustain them in the future, such as self-discipline, cooperation, critical thinking, independent action, and empathy.

Furthermore, by learning about purchasing costs and overhead, and by interacting with 'the real thing'—such as junior-sized stalls created by professional architects and carpenters and leaflets designed by professionals—children accumulate authentic, firsthand experiences.

We believe that through this process, connections are formed between children, between adults and children, and between children and the town. This fosters a culture where the entire community watches over the children's development, nurtures future town-builders, and eventually, this market will richly color the future of Chigasaki.

2026 Program: "Three Steps" to Shape Trial and Error

This year's program offers a learning environment that goes beyond a simple sales experience through three "kids' meetings" and "workshops." [1st Kids' Meeting] August 9 (Sun): Meeting Peers and Learning About Money In addition to meeting their peers, there will be a "talk about money." They will present their shop ideas to their friends, taking the first step toward making their dreams a reality. [Workshop] September 13 (Sun): Individual Consultations and Product Photography An optional individual consultation session where children can get advice on how to make their products and present their shops. A photo booth for product photography is also planned. [2nd Kids' Meeting] October 18 (Sun): Signboard Making and Demonstration Children will create signboards by hand to symbolize "their shop." They will also conduct a sales and customer service demonstration to prepare for welcoming customers, making final preparations for the main event the following week.

The Four Concepts Cherished by "Chigasaki Kodomo Marche"

- Respecting people as they are, with children and adults supporting each other. - Adults firmly believing in and watching over the power that resides within children. - Fostering warm and deep connections between the town and people, and among people. - To create a "small town" that embodies this future, we value the following four principles:

- Connecting with the town: Creating a space where shopkeepers and customers connect, and the whole town interacts warmly. - Dreaming and achieving: Fostering a place where children can realize what they "want to do" under the watchful eye of adults. - Feeling and experiencing the real thing: Providing authentic experiences by handling real money and interacting with professional work. - Children having fun, adults having fun too: Children and adults become "co-participants" and enjoy this town to the fullest.

2026 "Program Kids" Recruitment Overview Target: Senior kindergarten to 9th graders (individuals or groups of up to 3) Participation Condition: Must be able to attend both kids' meetings and the main market event. Recruitment Period: June 20 (Sat) 20:00 to July 5 (Fri) 20:00, 2026 Application Method: Please apply using the form on the official website ( https://kodomo-marche.com ). *Applicants are required to attend a preliminary parent-child information session. Parent-Child Information Session: June 20 (Sat) 15:00-16:00 (Online participation and archive viewing available via the official website. Mandatory for first-time participants.) *Applications for adult vendors will also be accepted on the official website starting from June 20 (Sat) 20:00, 2026.

"Chigasaki Kodomo Marche 2026" Event Overview Date & Time: October 25 (Sun), 2026, 10:00-16:00 (Postponed to Nov 1 (Sun) in case of rain) Location: Chigasaki City Hall Plaza (Chigasaki 1-chome, Chigasaki City) Content: Stalls run by children, food, goods, and workshop stalls by adult professionals. Organizer: Chigasaki Kodomo Marche Executive Committee Cooperation: Chigasaki Company

【Contact for this matter】 Chigasaki Kodomo Marche Executive Committee Email: [email protected] URL: https://kodomo-marche.com