Spring is still a little far away. Before the snow melts, the wind softens, and the cherry blossoms begin to bud, a quiet change came to Suwa Kindergarten. One day, we received a solemn notice from our lunch provider:

“We will be discontinuing our service from April.”

And so, we embarked on a small adventure—the Quest for a New Lunch Provider. It felt like searching for lost bread in the depths of a forest. The entire staff gathered for discussions, conducted tasting sessions, analyzed nutritional values, and debated the best possible solution…

At last, we found it—the one. The perfect lunch center. A sigh of relief spread across the room. Even our stomachs, it seemed, sighed in contentment.

Food is Culture, and Every Meal is a Story

Eating is not just about nutrition. It is a ritual, a cultural tradition, and a tiny story woven into our daily lives. For children, lunchtime is the highlight of their day—a grand stage where the great drama of “likes and dislikes” unfolds.

This reminds me of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf. Inger, a proud young girl, places her foot on a loaf of bread to avoid stepping in the mud. The moment she does, the ground splits open, swallowing her into the underworld—a tale of punishment for taking food for granted.

Indeed, when food is treated carelessly, no good comes of it. I hope our children learn to appreciate even a single piece of bread. Of course, no one at Suwa Kindergarten will be dragged into the underworld for leaving their vegetables untouched, but the importance of cherishing our meals is a lesson worth teaching.

Eating is Learning

Suwa Kindergarten is not just a place that provides lunch. As a model school for food and agricultural education, we view every meal as a learning experience.

Take, for example, our vegetable garden. The children dig the soil, plant seeds, water them, and patiently watch them grow. And then, the long-awaited moment of harvest arrives.

“Look, the tomatoes turned red!”
“Cucumbers are so prickly!”

Through these small discoveries, they begin to understand: eating is living.

And then, there’s that special moment—when a child who once shouted, “I hate carrots!” takes a bite and says, “This is the carrot I grew myself.”

A small, yet undeniable miracle.

春はまだ少し遠い。雪が解け、風がやわらぎ、桜のつぼみがふくらみ始める前に、諏訪幼稚園にもひとつの変化が訪れた。先日、給食センターから「４月からうちのサービス、やめます」という静かなるお知らせ。

こうして、私たちは「新たな給食センター探し」という小さな冒険に乗り出すことになった。まるで、森の中で失われたパンを探すように。職員総出で検討会を開き、試食会を開き、栄養価をチェックし、最適な答えを議論する日々……。。

そしてついに、「ここだ！」という給食センターを見つけた。ほっと胸をなでおろす。お腹も、ついでにほっとした様子だ。

食事は文化であり、物語である
さて、食べることは単なる栄養補給ではない。むしろ、ひとつの儀式であり、文化の継承であり、日々の中の小さな物語である。子どもたちにとっては、給食は一日のハイライトであり、「好き嫌い」というドラマが展開される舞台でもある。

ここで思い出したのが、アンデルセンの『パンを踏んだ娘』。インゲルという少女が、泥に足を汚さないようにと、拾ったばかりのパンの上に足を乗せる。その瞬間、地面がぱっくりと裂け、彼女は地下の世界へと引きずり込まれる——そんな物語だ。なるほど、食べ物を粗末にすると、ろくなことがない。子どもたちには、パンひとつにも感謝する心を持ってほしい。もちろん、幼稚園の給食で地下世界に引きずり込まれることはないと思うけれど、「大切に食べる」ということの意味は、伝えたいものだ。

食べることは、学ぶこと
諏訪幼稚園は、ただ給食を提供するだけの場所ではない。食農教育プログラムのモデル校として、給食そのものを学びの一環と考えている。

たとえば、園の菜園で野菜を育てる活動。子どもたちは土を掘り、種をまき、水をやり、じっと成長を見守る。そして、収穫の瞬間を迎える。「あ、トマトが赤くなった！」「きゅうりってこんなにチクチクするの？」そんな小さな発見を積み重ねながら、自分で育てた野菜を食べることで、「食べることは生きることだ」と実感する。

「にんじん嫌い！」と叫んでいた子が、「これは僕が育てたにんじんだから」と、一口食べる瞬間。それは、小さな奇跡にほかならない。

理事長のつぶやき

– Note from New Kindergarten Manager

Once upon a time—or rather, to be precise, just this morning—a new child arrived at Suwa Kindergarten. Though the winter chill still lingers, the playground seemed to be wrapped in the gentle embrace of sunlight, and the breeze carried the faint scent of spring from somewhere far away.

The senior students stood solemnly in the schoolyard, their expressions unusually serious as they lined up for the morning assembly. “A new friend is joining us today,” they said, as if taking pride in every grain of sand they had carefully prepared on the ground, ensuring it was ready for the newcomer’s first steps.

And so, on this fresh Monday morning, a coach from Gifu’s Soccer Development Program arrived. With a confident blow of his whistle, he began his training session, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he watched the children move. “Every time I visit this kindergarten, I can see how much the children have grown,” he said. “Some of them already have the faces of elementary school students.” As he spoke, his gaze drifted into the distance, as if watching them step into the future.

Suwa Kindergarten has stood for over 70 years, a cornerstone of early childhood education. And yet, I believe we are now in the midst of what I call our “second founding era.” The great clock of history is once again turning, marking a new beginning. Our mission is not just childcare—it is to lay a foundation on which our children can run freely toward the future. This vision aligns closely with that of the Gifu Football Association and FC Gifu—to nurture not only strong bodies but strong, upright hearts.

As for the official vision of the Gifu Football Association and FC Gifu? Well, I should probably look that up later.
For now, I think I’ll just watch the children chase after the ball a little longer. Because in their movement, there is a story—one that has yet to be put into words, but is already very much alive.