218: From Overgrown Land to Outdoor Learning: Inside W.I.S.E. Forest School in Japan

From Overgrown Land to Outdoor Learning: Inside W.I.S.E. Forest School in Japan

What happens when you look at an overgrown piece of land and see possibility?

In this special Tour & Talk episode of The Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, I’m joined by Robert from W.I.S.E. Forest School in Wakayama, Japan, for a conversation about creating a place where children can learn, explore, take risks, and build a relationship with the natural world.

Through photographs of the W.I.S.E. environment, Robert takes us behind the scenes of the space—sharing how it began, how it has evolved, and how the children themselves continue to shape it.

We talk about child-led learning, Forest School philosophy, sustainability, appropriate risk, learning through the seasons, and the intersection of Robert’s British roots with his work in Japan.

Most importantly, we explore a question at the heart of every outdoor classroom:

How do we create spaces that aren't simply made for children—but can truly become theirs?

Whether you have access to a forest, a playground, a courtyard, or one small patch of green, Robert's story is a beautiful reminder that outdoor learning doesn't begin with having the perfect space.

It begins with seeing possibility.

W.I.S.E. Forest SchoolW.I.S.E. (Wakayama International School of English) Forest School opened in spring 2024 in Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture, as Japan's first and only all-English "British International Forest School" incorporating a British curriculum.

Based on W.I.S.E.'s philosophy of "high-quality English education at an affordable price," we go beyond the boundaries of an English school to learn English not just by learning English itself, but by broadening our perspective globally and learning many things practically through English.

In a nature-immersed environment, you can be free and true to yourself. We aim to be a "one-of-a-kind" presence that nurtures not only English proficiency but also individuality, confidence, the ability to survive in modern society, and independence.