こんにちは！不動産エージェントの岡崎愛です。ってこの自己紹介いるのかな？

すっかり運動会シーズンですね！我が家でも子どもたちの運動会シーズンがはじまり賑やかな（そして親にとっては体力勝負の）日々を過ごしています。

今回は、我が家の今年の運動会を振り返りつつ、これまで経験してきた「私立小学校」と「公立小学校」のびっくりするほどの文化の違いや、港区ならではの最新事情についてお話ししたいと思います。

■ 幼児教室の先生に叩き込まれた「運動会見学の掟」

我が家の子どもたちが小学校受験を控えていた頃、幼児教室の担任の先生から「学校選びの参考になるから、私立や国立の運動会は見学に行きなさい」と勧められました。

当時の私は、地域の学校行事の雰囲気が全く分かっていない文字通りの「無知」状態。 そんな私に先生が真っ先に教えてくださったのが、「見学時の服装は、デニムは絶対にNGです！」という掟でした。

当時は「運動会なのにデニムがダメなの！？」と衝撃を受けましたが、ネイビーや綺麗めな格好で一歩足を踏み入れると、確かにそこには独特の洗練された空間が。あの時に教えていただいた知識やマナーは、今でも本当に役立っています。

■ いざ入学！最初の運動会で受けた「お重の洗礼」

そんな緊張感を経て、いざ私立小学校に入学。 待ちに待った初めての運動会で、私はさらなるカルチャーショックを受けることになります。

それが、「お弁当問題」です。

お昼の時間になり、周りを見渡して目を見張りました。なんと、どのご家庭も、お正月にしか見ないような立派な「お重」でお弁当を持ってきているのです……！

一方、我が家が持参したのは、気取らないいつもの「タッパー」。近くだったお母様とお弁当の話になり、我が家のタッパーを見たそのお母様が、にっこり微笑んで一言。

「……現代的ですね（微笑）」

上品かつ、なんとも言えない私立の洗礼（！）を感じたその言葉は、今でも忘れられません（笑）きっと褒めるところを探してくださり、絞り出した一言。

さすがに焦った私は、早速実家からお重をひとつ譲り受け、翌年からは無事に「お重仲間」の仲間入りを果たしました。とはいえ、料理が苦手な私のこと。入れ物だけは一丁前に立派ですが、中身はいつも平凡以下です……。

■ 5人分から3人分へ。子どもの成長と寂しさと

そんなお弁当作りも、気づけば今年で7年目。 去年までは、大人2人、子ども3人の「家族全員分（5人分）」の大きなお弁当をお重に詰めて、みんなでワイワイ観戦していました。

しかし、今年は大きな変化が。 長女が中学校へ進学し、下の子は別の小学校に通うことになったため、今年の運動会のお弁当は「家族3人分」に。

「ずいぶんラクになるな」と思って作り始めたのですが、結局、3人分とは思えない量を溢れんばかりに作りすぎてしまいました。 しかも、前日の夜に娘が「みんなに配りたい！」とクッキーを焼き始めたため、お重の3段目の半分はクッキーで埋まるという事態に（笑）

■ 衝撃！港区の公立小学校は「運動会後に給食」が出る！？

そして、今年もう一つ、私の中で最大の衝撃だったのが、息子の通う公立小学校の運動会事情です。

なんと、運動会のプログラムが終わった後に、そのまま学校で「給食」が出るのです……！

「えっ、運動会なのに家族でお弁当を食べないの！？」と、去年までお姉ちゃんたちの運動会でお弁当を食べていた息子もびっくり。 親としても、お弁当の手間が省けてラクな反面、「一緒にお弁当を食べられないなんて、ちょっと寂しいな……いつ子供と喋るのかな？」というのが本音でした。きっと息子も私も、来年になればこの「給食スタイル」にすっかり慣れていくのでしょうね。

それにしても、港区の公立小中学校のサポート体制には本当に頭が下がります。 現在、港区では子育て支援の一環として学校給食費の完全無料化が実施されています。

我が家は、息子は認可外保育園（毎日お弁当）に通い、姉は私立小でお弁当持参と歩んできたため、お弁当のつらさ、、、「栄養バランスが考えられた温かいご飯を、親の負担なし（無料）でいただける」という環境が、どれほど有り難いことか身に染みて分かります。

早起き＆お弁当作りが本当に苦手で、7年経っても一向にレパートリーが広がらない私にとっては、神様のような制度、それが給食です。

■ 不動産選びと、地域の「子育てのリアル」

「私立か、公立か」 「どのエリアの学校に通わせるか」

これらは、これから住まいを探されるファミリー層のお客様からも、非常によくご相談いただくテーマです。

パンフレットやネットの数字、口コミを見るだけでは分からない、「実際に行事の負担はどのくらい？」「お弁当や給食のリアルな事情は？」といった泥臭い生活感こそ、家を構えて長く暮らしていく上でとても大切なポイントになります。

地域のリアルな子育て環境や、制度の違いを考慮したエリア選び。 自身の「3人の子育て奮闘記」の実体験も交えながら、ライフスタイルにぴったり合う住まい探しを一緒に勉強しながらお手伝いさせていただきます。港区周辺での家探し、学校事情が気になる方は、ぜひお気軽にご相談くださいね！

（……どなたか、お弁当の隙間をパパッと埋められる簡単なレパートリーがあれば、ぜひこっそり教えてください！）

---

Hi there! I’m Ai Okazaki, your real estate agent. (I wonder if I really need to introduce myself like this? Haha.)

It’s officially Sports Day season! My kids’ schools have kicked off their sports events, and we’ve been having some very lively—and for us parents, physically exhausting—days lately.

Today, looking back on this year’s events, I’d like to share the mind-blowing cultural differences I’ve experienced between private and public elementary schools, along with the latest school lunch situation unique to Minato Ward.

■ The “Sports Day Etiquette” Drilled into Me by My Prep School Teacher

Back when my children were preparing for elementary school entrance exams, my teacher at the prep school recommended that I visit private and national schools’ Sports Days to help choose the right one.

At the time, I was completely clueless about the atmosphere of local school events. The very first piece of advice my teacher gave me was: “Whatever you do, absolutely NO denim when you go to watch!”

I was shocked, thinking, “No jeans at a sports event?!” But the moment I stepped onto the school grounds dressed in navy and elegant attire, I realized she was right. There was a uniquely sophisticated atmosphere. The knowledge and etiquette I learned back then are still incredibly useful to this day.

■ Welcome to Private School! My First Culture Shock: The “Ju-bako” (Tiered Bento Box) Initiation

After surviving that tense exam period, my child safely enrolled in a private elementary school. At the long-awaited first Sports Day, I experienced an even bigger culture shock.

It was the “Bento (lunch box) Dilemma.”

When lunchtime arrived, I looked around and couldn’t believe my eyes. Almost every single family had brought their lunch in gorgeous, traditional tiered lacquer boxes (“Ju-bako”)—the kind you usually only see during New Year’s celebrations!

Meanwhile, I had brought our lunch in a very casual, standard Tupperware container. I ended up chatting about lunch with another mom sitting near our picnic blanket. She took one look at my Tupperware, gave me a polite smile, and said:

“…Oh, how modern of you! (Smile)”

That elegant yet subtly piercing private school “welcome” is something I will never forget (laughs).

Panicked, I immediately asked my parents to give me one of their tiered boxes, and by the following year, I had successfully joined the “Ju-bako Club.” That said, cooking is definitely not my strength. The box itself looks fancy, but the food inside is always below average…

■ From 5 Portions to 3: The Loneliness of Watching My Kids Grow

Believe it or not, this is my 7th year of making Sports Day lunches. Up until last year, I used to pack a huge 5-portion lunch (for 2 adults and 3 kids) into those tiered boxes, and we would all eat together merrily.

However, this year brought a big change. My eldest daughter started junior high, and my younger child goes to a different elementary school, meaning I only had to make lunch for three of us this year.

I started cooking thinking, “Wow, this is going to be so much easier!” But as I began packing, my muscle memory from years of cooking for five took over. I completely lost track of the portions and failed miserably—ending up with an overflowing amount of food that was way too much for three people.

On top of that, the night before, my daughter decided she wanted to bake cookies to share with everyone, so half of the third tier of my Ju-bako ended up being filled with her cookies!

..ended up being filled with her cookies!

■ Shocking! Minato Ward Public Schools Serve “School Lunch” After Sports Day?!

And here is the biggest shocker for me this year regarding my son’s public elementary school.

Believe it or not, they serve school lunch right after the Sports Day program ends!

“Wait, we don’t eat lunch together as a family on Sports Day?!” My son was just as surprised as I was, since he remembered eating with the whole family during his sisters’ events last year. As a parent, while I was relieved to skip the hassle of making another bento, my honest thought was, “It’s a bit lonely not eating together… When am I supposed to talk to my kid?” I’m sure both my son and I will get completely used to this “school lunch style” by next year, though.

Still, I am incredibly grateful for the support system provided by Minato Ward’s public schools. Currently, as part of their child-rearing support initiative, Minato Ward offers completely free school lunches for all public elementary and junior high schools.

Since my son went to an unlicensed daycare (where I had to make lunch every single day) and my daughter went to a private school where she always brought a bento, I know firsthand just how tough making lunches can be. That’s why it hits home just how amazing it is to have “nutritiously balanced, warm meals provided at zero financial cost to parents.”

For someone like me who is terrible at waking up early and making lunches—and whose cooking repertoire hasn’t expanded at all in 7 years—this school lunch system is an absolute godsend.

■ Real Estate and the “Reality of Raising Kids” in the Area

“Private or public?” “Which neighborhood should we choose for our children’s school?”

These are topics that families looking for a new home ask me about all the time.

You can’t see the gritty, everyday details from brochures or online statistics—things like, “How much of a burden are school events, really?” or “What is the actual situation with school lunches and bentos?” Yet, these lifestyle details are the most crucial points when settling down for the long haul.

Choosing an area based on the reality of the local parenting environment and institutional differences. I’m here to help you find the perfect home that matches your lifestyle, weaving in my own real-life experiences from my “parenting struggles with three kids.” If you are looking for a home around Minato Ward or are curious about the school situations here, please feel free to reach out anytime!

(…And if anyone knows a quick and easy recipe to fill those awkward empty gaps in a bento box, please secretly let me know!)