In Japan, the new school term typically begins in April. In the city of Isakari in Kagoshima Prefecture, a primary school is facing a situation where only 8 students remain due to a decline in the local population. With no new students enrolling for the current academic year, the school decided to welcome a small goat as the “new classmate” and even held an entrance ceremony for it.
According to reports from NHK, the Minamiei Elementary School in Isakari held a special entrance ceremony on April 24th, where the school staff, students, and local residents welcomed a 4-month-old goat named “Konan” as the new first-grade student for the semester.
During the ceremony, the principal of the school, Mr. Arata Araki, made goat noises to officially welcome “Konan” to the school. A teacher specifically advised “Konan” to have a good time and not to wander off to the streets.
Since there were no first-grade students enrolling in the current academic year, Arata Araki specially brought in a goat to lighten up the school atmosphere. Having raised a goat in a previous school, he came up with this idea to liven up the school environment.
During the entrance ceremony, “Konan” was carried to a special seat made of straw. Students then fed it fresh grass, which it enjoyed heartily.
A fourth-grade female student expressed her joy at their family expanding and looked forward to playing and spending time with “Konan”. She expressed her anticipation of working together with it in the future.
A sixth-grade male student said, “It’s fluffy, and I want to hug it. I hope it stays healthy and happy like everyone else.”
The official website of Isakari City noted that the city has over 12,000 households and a population of approximately 23,000 people. The city established a sister-city relationship with Hualien City in Taiwan at the end of January.
In response to the powerful earthquake that struck eastern Taiwan on April 3rd, Mayor Yoshihisa Hashimoto expressed sincere condolences to the affected people and initiated disaster relief fundraising efforts, setting up donation boxes for the public to contribute.
As reported by CNA, Mayor Hashimoto and his team signed a friendship exchange agreement at the Hualien City Hall on January 31st. The two sides pledged to enhance tourism and cultural exchanges in the future as sister cities.
Mayor Wei Chia-yen of Hualien City highlighted the similarities in natural landscapes and cultural characteristics between Hualien and Isakari, expressing hope for deeper cooperation in various areas under the exchange agreement.
Hashimoto also mentioned the longstanding friendly relations between Japan and Taiwan. When a major earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Japan earlier this year, donations from Hualien City made headlines in Japan. He expressed hopes for more frequent exchanges between Hualien City and Isakari in the future.