Forest School Mikke

Located in the mountainous island of Shikoku, Japan, Forest School Mikke exists to foster a culture of creative actions towards a sustainable and regenerative society.

Mikke is based in Kamiyama, a small town in Tokushima Prefecture. Like many rural towns across Japan, Kamiyama is on a path towards an ageing society and needs to create a reason for younger people to move to or stay in the town. It is within this context that Mikke is engaged in two major initiatives: school management and forest restoration.

Mikke is an alternative school where elementary school-aged children (6–12 years old) learn through an interdisciplinary curriculum based on food, clothing, and shelter, using the forest as a learning environment. Since its opening in 2022, 28 students have enrolled, and 191 participants have joined short-term programs such as summer school. Through its educational activities, Mikke fosters exchanges between people of different generations, fields, and backgrounds in the community. To date, it has held 11 community events with a total of 270 participants.

Like other rural areas in the region, Kamiyama is covered with unharvested monoculture forests of cedar and cypress, planted as part of post-war policies. This has led to a decrease in biodiversity, soil degradation and other undesirable downstream effects. The team at Mikke works to restore these neglected forests so sunlight can reach the forest floor and foster healthy ecosystems. Mikke has planted 70 fruit trees. By the autumn of 2026, to coincide with a new school building, Mikke aims to source timber from its own land and set up a firewood station.

  • Community, Ecosystems, Networks
  • 2025
  • Permaculture Magazine Award
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Photo: Forest School Mikke

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