A six-year-old girl in Japan is the only first-grader at her school after the shutdown due to a lack of children.

School has started once again in the small mountain town of Ehime, and this year's student body has significantly expanded, albeit to a very small size. The only first-grader at Yanagidani Elementary School is six-year-old Nozomi Fujioka, a bright, energetic, and articulate child who has made a big impression on all the teachers and staff.

The Yanagidani district, located in the mountains of Ehime Prefecture, has a population of only 540 residents, with very few children. In the past three years, there were no new first-graders in Yanagidani Elementary, resulting in the school being closed for the entire year. However, things have changed in 2024, as Nozomi became the first new first-grader in three years, and the school held an entrance ceremony for her, which was captured in a heartwarming video.

During the ceremony, an administrator called out Nozomi's name as the new student for 2024, to which she confidently replied "present." Nozomi is the only first-grader in the school, but she won't be alone as two families have recently moved to the area, bringing the total number of students to four. Despite being the youngest, Nozomi is excited to start school and make new friends.

Nozomi's father, Tsuyoshi, who was born and raised in Yanagidani, wants his daughter to have a connection to the town and enjoy living there. He is happy that she will have the opportunity to interact with other students while learning. The principal of the school, Masatoshi Fukuda, expressed his excitement for Nozomi's start of elementary school and encouraged her to try new things and enjoy her school life.

The school plans to teach different-year students in the same room, which will help foster a sense of camaraderie and school spirit. Physical education classes will also be a group activity, as seen in the video where Nozomi and her upperclassmen play soccer together. What makes this situation even more heartwarming is that Nozomi attended a local preschool where she befriended three younger children. With the reopening of Yanagidani Elementary School and a small but happy student body, it is hoped that the families of those children will choose to stay in the community, thus keeping it alive.

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