Ikebukuro Junior High Block Advances Safe School Designation Plan

Ikebukuro Junior High School began its drive for International Safe School status in 2016 alongside Ikebukuro Honcho Elementary School and Ikebukuro Dai-ichi Elementary School, marking the first such effort among junior high schools in the area.

The effort grew from Toshima City's broader Safe Community plan, which seeks international designations for school blocks to build safer environments for students from elementary through junior high levels. Community members note that the timing aligns with the completion of a new joint school building in August 2016, raising expectations that the facility could serve as a local disaster prevention base amid surrounding wooden structures.

Voices from PTA and regional leaders

PTA chairman Masatoshi Kihara highlighted how the mix of long-term residents and newer arrivals in the Ikebukuro Honcho and Kami Ikebukuro zones brings fresh energy while facing pressures from an aging population and rapid informatization. He pointed to student-led activities under the student council and committees, where participants proposed concrete steps to reduce risks and strengthen daily safety habits.

Koichiro Tanaka, chairman of the ISS Regional Policy Committee, described the formation of a Community Taskforce Committee drawing from fire brigade members, welfare commissioners and youth development groups. These representatives coordinate morning greetings, day and night patrols, disaster drills and local festivals to tighten connections between students and the surrounding neighborhood.

Priority goals and next steps

The school outlined six priority goals drawn directly from its ISS planning documents: training students to anticipate and avoid danger, building school leadership, addressing bullying through improved social skills, boosting disaster preparedness, raising awareness of online safety including SNS use, and enhancing the physical environment. The new building provides 17,271 square meters of floor space and a 10,212 square meter playground, figures recorded after the 2016 move and 2017 playground completion.

Following an initial review, organizers scheduled an on-site examination for December 2017 and targeted a formal designation ceremony for February 2018. The source document remains available at https://www.jisc-ascsc.jp/pdf/ikebukuro_jr_see.pdf for residents seeking full details on the original plans.

Parents and community members continue to stress the value of unified school-home-neighborhood efforts so students can attend classes without worry and contribute to safer streets in Ikebukuro.