What is Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab like?
Do what you like
Make, play, explore. You decide what to do. If it is your first time, staff can show you how.
Days when you do nothing are fine
Just watching, or just sitting, is OK. Nobody says “try harder” or “go back to school.” Showing up is enough.
Come, or don't come
Come on a day we are open, and leave partway through if you want. If this month doesn't work, next month is fine.
Go all out on a high-end PC
Play Minecraft and Roblox, program in Minecraft, build games with AI, even edit video, all on a high-end PC of your own for the day. Finished games can be published on our AI Game Plaza. No computer at home? That's fine.
Overview
| How often | Monthly to start (about two hours)Dates from the second session on will be posted here and on LINE once set. We plan to add sessions as we go. |
|---|---|
| First session | Monday, October 19, 2026, 13:00–15:00Families who apply get priority. |
| Where | Digital Kodomo BASE, 3-3-3 Chuo, Ota City, TokyoIf many families join, we may use a nearby facility instead. Map |
| Who | Children who are not attending school, or who find it hard to (elementary and junior high)This includes children anxious about attending, children spending the day in a separate room or nurse's office, and families exploring learning outside school. High school students are welcome to ask. |
| Cost | Free |
| What to bring | NothingA computer is provided for each child to use on the day. |
| Parents | Welcome to stayWe set up a separate space where parents can talk with each other, apart from the children's room. |
| Group size | Small, 10 children or fewerIf more families apply than we can take, places are drawn by lottery, with families who apply given priority. |
| How to join | Apply by emailSee below. |
The venue
Digital Kodomo BASE (3-3-3 Chuo, Ota City). These photos were taken when the rooms were empty.
For parents
On the days a child is not at school, there can still be a place to learn.
Our weekly After-School Lab receives many inquiries asking, “Can a child who is not attending school take part?” Some already come. Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab is our answer, built for exactly that. We start with one session a month and plan to add more as we go.
Why computers
- Less face-to-face pressureWorking at a screen means a child can be here without having to talk.
- Their own paceNobody has to keep up with anyone else.
- Something to keepWhat they make stays with them: “I made this today.”
- Tools they will keep usingThe computers and AI here are the same tools they will use when they work as adults. Time away from school becomes something built up, not a gap.
Certification, free of charge
Children who wish to can also take the Digital Kodomo BASE Certification (AI use, information literacy and more, from Level 5). It is taken online, and a certificate is issued on passing: proof of ability earned outside school. Furatto Lab participants can take Levels 5 and 4 free of charge. Whether to take it is the child's choice.
Our stance
Being here today is what matters
Returning to school is not the only goal. A child who wants to go back, and a child who chooses not to, are treated with the same respect.
No goals are imposed
The child decides what to do, or not do. A day of “I did nothing” still counts, because coming counts.
Parents are not left alone
There is a separate time and space for parents to talk with each other, and information and records to take home.
About Digital Kodomo BASE
NPO Digital Kodomo BASE brings computers, AI, and programming to children in Ota City, Tokyo, free of charge. We started in Ota in 2025. Whether a child has a computer they can freely use at home depends on family circumstances, and we want the community, not the family alone, to close that gap.
Our watchword is “digital × a place to belong × community.” Digital Kodomo BASE Furatto Lab is one more such place. The work is funded by donations and donated computers, and everything is free for families. Our goal is that every child, whatever their family circumstances, gains digital skills and can widen their own options for the future.
Safety and privacy
- We may take photos as a record of the activity. We do not publish them on our website or social media, except with your permission
- We never publish a child's school name or attendance situation
- Volunteers are never alone one-on-one with a child
- Volunteers do not contact children individually by SNS or email
- We keep a parent's contact details for emergencies
- Accounts, in-app purchases, and generative AI are used with an adult
Apply
Dates and day-of updates also go out on our official LINE (Japanese). Please add us there as well as applying.
Add us on LINEThe first session is on Monday, October 19, 2026, 13:00–15:00. Families who apply get priority. If more families apply than we can take, places are drawn by lottery, and families who apply come first. The school name is used only to gauge distance to the venue; we never contact the school. Leave out anything you would rather not share.
Please email us with:
- Parent's name and a phone number for emergencies (optional)
- Child's grade
- Child's school name (used only to gauge distance)
- Days that suit you (Mon–Sun, or any) and times that suit you (10–12, 13–15, 16–18, or any)
- Whether there is a computer at home
- Anything you would like us to know (accommodations, worries, what your child enjoys)
We reply within a few business days. Japanese is our working language, but we do our best in English.