Nestled in the heart of Shikoku, Higashimiyoshi Town in Tokushima Prefecture is a unique community. Divided by the scenic Yoshino River and surrounded by verdant mountains, the town is gaining recognition for its forward-thinking approach to education鈥攑articularly in the area of ICT (Information and Communication Technology).
However, schools and local governments face a key decision: which new devices will best support their students鈥� learning in the fast-paced digital world. The Board of Education has taken bold steps, starting with the adoption of the HP Fortis Flip G1m 11 Chromebook, powered by MediaTek Kompanio.
How Higashimiyoshi Town Is Leading the Way in ICT Education
Education in Higashimiyoshi is grounded in the philosophy of nurturing pride and love for the local community, while equipping the next generation with the tools to shape the future. This vision is strongly reflected in the town鈥檚 early and proactive adoption of ICT in its schools, as it was an early participant in the nationwide GIGA School Program. In its second phase it introduced around 1,200 HP Fortis Flip G1m 11 Chromebooks powered by MediaTek Kompanio processors, for use by all students and teachers as everyday learning tools.
Traditional PCs Proved Challenging for Schools to Manage
During the first phase of Japan's GIGA School Program, the town adopted tablet PCs that used Microsoft Windows. However, these proved challenging due to their slow startup times and limited battery life. A turning point came when the schools began experimenting with ChromeOS and Google Cloud tools. This early experience smoothed the transition to Chromebooks in the GIGA program鈥檚 second phase, during which the HP Fortis Flip G1m 11 Chromebook, powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, was adopted by teachers who were already familiar with Google Workspace apps like Google Chat.
The HP Fortis Chromebook stood out due to features tailored for young learners.
To further support ICT growth, the town established an Education Promotion Council focused on school digital transformation, in which ICT Instructor Ms. Tanifuji plays a pivotal role, delivering lessons such as Romaji (Japanese writing using the Roman alphabet characters) to younger students and helping them become confident users of digital tools from an early age. Meanwhile, older children use collaborative tools like Forms and Spreadsheets seamlessly.
鈥�The OS and applications run very smoothly, allowing for stress-free operation. Also, the OS starts up quickly, so you no longer have to wait like before. This kind of performance is very nice."
- Ms. Tanifuji
The town and its committed educators are playing a key role in selecting the most appropriate devices to shape digital-first, future-ready students, maintaining their place at the forefront of ICT leadership in Japan.
Trusted worldwide and ranked as the #1 processor for Arm-based Chromebooks, the MediaTek Kompanio series delivers the power behind today鈥檚 most advanced learning devices, making digital-first, future-ready students thrive.
To learn more check the full HP case study, .