CREATIVE KIDS TOP Programming Education U22 Programming Competition Concludes

Programming Education

2023.11.19
U22 Programming Competition Concludes

The U22 Programming Contest has concluded. Congratulations to all the winners!

Believe it or not, two of this year’s recipients of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award are elementary school students! To be recognized alongside college students is a remarkable achievement.

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award (Overall) — the Grand Prize — was awarded to Mr. Manya, a sophomore in college who developed an AI synthesizer.

I first met Mr. Manya at the National Elementary and Junior High School Programming Contest (JJPC), which we organize, when he—who was in his third year of junior high school at the time—won the Runner-up Prize.

From that point on, Mr. Manya never wavered in his commitment and continued to single-mindedly explore the world of music and computer science; he went on to win the Director-General’s Award from the Bureau of Commerce and Information Policy at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry twice through the U22 program.

Ever since he was in ninth grade, his ideas, technical skills, implementation abilities, and spirit of inquiry have been extraordinary, and that energy shows no signs of waning—if anything, it continues to grow.

On the other hand, despite being incredibly talented, for some reason he had never won a Grand Prix before.

That had been weighing on my mind for a while, but he used that frustration as motivation and went on to win the Grand Prix this time.

Of course, I was overcome with joy, but more than anything, I felt a sense of relief.

Well, words simply cannot do justice to the amazing achievements of the two elementary school students who won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award in the Ideas and Products category.

Shohei Ohtani in baseball and Souta Fujii in shogi. These extraordinary young people—who seem almost otherworldly—are making a huge impact, and I feel that a whole new generation is emerging in the world of programming as well—and in large numbers!

What this year’s award recipients have in common is that they have taken their pursuits beyond mere fascination, exploration, or passion—pushing them to a level that can be described as “obsession.”

Please help change Japan and the world! I’m counting on you.


　

Profile


  • Digital Picture Book Author

    Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
    Director, B Lab
    Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
    Chairperson, CANVAS

    After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
    He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
    His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”