Forestopia Learning Forest -- Miyazaki Prefectural Gokase Secondary School

Once a year, a cultural festival and sports festival are held in succession, and the entire event is called the Forestopia Festival.

All students and school staff participate in the Sports Festival and receive support from student guardians and host families.　Students are divided into two teams - the red team and the white team.　Each team tries to win both the sports competition and the cheering competition under the leadership of their captains. All students - from first grade to the six grade - come together to support the festival.

At our school, students have a homestay experience in the local community for a few days every year. During the Forestopia Festival, each student eats lunch with his or her own host-family members.

The Culture Festival, which is held on the second and third days of the Forestopia Festival, starts with a dynamic performance by the Taiko Drum Club as an opening ceremony. The gymnasium is the main venue of the event. Plays and performances by each grade take place there. One of the performances which characterize the festival is "Gokase Kagura," or "Gokase Shinto Music and Dance."