Raising Children in a City of Sports: Iwata City Wins National Child-Rearing Support Award, Promoting a Child-Centered Community

Leveraging its nationwide recognition as a 'city of sports' from regional brand surveys, Iwata City offers an ideal environment for raising children, where the excitement of professional sports like Júbilo Iwata and Shizuoka Blue Revs coexists with the natural charm of tea-growing landscapes.

Mass Attendance of Elementary Students at Júbilo Iwata Home Games and Junior High Students at Shizuoka Blue Revs Host Games

To foster children's interest in sports, deepen their attachment to local professional teams, and cultivate pride in Iwata as their hometown, the city organizes mass attendance programs for elementary and junior high school students at home games of Júbilo Iwata and Shizuoka Blue Revs, respectively.

Lawn Conversion of School Grounds

Iwata has promoted the conversion of school grounds into grassy fields at 18 elementary and junior high schools across the city. The initiative aims to enhance children's physical fitness, create safe and enjoyable sports environments, strengthen school-community ties, and reduce dust pollution around schools. The city maintains these grassy fields, allowing children to play and engage in sports freely and safely.

Relocation Experience Tour: Feeling Sports Up Close

For individuals considering moving to Iwata City, the city offers relocation experience tours that include housing viewings and firsthand experiences of living in a community where sports are an integral part of daily life.

Other Initiatives

Baby School Visit Day

Parents with infants are invited to visit junior high schools, where students interact with babies to learn about the value of life. Parents also have opportunities to connect with others facing similar challenges, fostering mutual support and community bonding.

Integrated Elementary-Junior High Schools and School-Based Nine-Year Education Programs

The city implements a continuous education model across all junior high school districts, planning nine-year educational pathways in collaboration with local communities. This approach nurtures children's independence under the warm support of the community. Two integrated schools—Nagafuji Gakufu and Kōyō Gakufu—have been constructed to support this vision.

Kōyō Gakufu Integrated School

Enhanced Child-Rearing Support Facilities

The city takes pride in facilities such as 'Hito・Hon no Niwa Nikotto,' a child-rearing support center with a library function, and 'i-port,' a companion-type support service that prevents parental isolation. With seamless support unique to Iwata, the city is building a future filled with children's smiles.

Hito・Hon no Niwa Nikotto

2026 Japan Child-Rearing Support Award: Judges' Comments

The city's child-rearing support policies stand out by leveraging its strong professional sports culture in soccer and rugby.

Unique initiatives include mass student attendance at sports events, lawn-covered schoolyards, and efforts to turn new residents into team supporters.

Intergenerational communication is thoughtfully encouraged, such as through the 'Baby School Visit' program.

Located nearly at the center of Japan, Iwata City lies east of the Tenryū River in western Shizuoka Prefecture, facing the Enshu Coast to the south. Historically a key transportation hub along the Tōkaidō, the city boasts one of the highest manufacturing shipment values in the prefecture and leading agricultural production. It achieves balanced development between urban and rural areas. Rich in natural beauty, Iwata is the home town of J.League team Júbilo Iwata and Top League rugby team Shizuoka Blue Revs. It is also the birthplace of Olympic gold medalists in table tennis, Mizutani Jun and Ito Mima.

[Iwata City Official Website] https://www.city.iwata.shizuoka.jp/kosodate_kyouiku/index.html