Coolest Projects Japan 2026

I recently went to Coolest Projects, the first-ever exhibition event of its kind to be held in Japan, which took place in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and I’ll casually introduce it here (it’s scheduled to be held again next year).

What is Coolest Projects?

Coolest Projects is a global showcase event for children under 18. It’s a place for the community to celebrate original ideas and projects made using programming and technology. It’s not a competition to rank entries. It’s a place to share your passion, creativity, and technical challenges with peers.

Coolest Projects Japan 2026 | 創造力と技術で生み出したプロジェクトを発表・共有できる、子どものための作品展示会

Coolest Projectsは、若者たちが自分の創造力と技術で生み出したプロジェクトを発表・共有するための作品展示イベントです。国内の子ども・若者が集まり、完成度や勝敗を競うのではなく、お互いの作品に触れ、交流し、刺激を与え合うことを目的としています。

coolestprojects2026.coderdojo.jp

soumame

I think it’s an event where you exhibit what you’ve made yourself and say, “Isn’t this super cool?”.

I already knew about it

I lived in Malaysia for about five years, up until last year, and during that time I heard that Coolest Projects Malaysia had been held there, so I had a vague awareness of the event. However, it didn’t seem like something held everywhere around the world; rather, it felt like it would be organized in certain countries when there was local momentum.

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I never expected there to be a movement to hold it in Japan… (amazing)

CoderDojo Japan participated as an organizer, and the community was very active.

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I often almost write “coolest project” by mistake, but the essence of this event is that it’s “coolest projects”—if you look closely it’s plural. In other words, it’s not really about who’s the best. (In some countries they do give awards, but fundamentally it’s not a competitive format.)

How I got involved

I learned about the event because an acquaintance invited me, and surprisingly I knew quite a few people involved—maybe the world is smaller than I thought. At first I was going to help with publicity like web development, but university turned out to be unexpectedly busy, so I was basically a ghost for a while.

Although travel expenses and such were going to be covered, participating in an in-person event takes a fair bit of effort, so at first I was like, “Oh, so this kind of thing exists.”.

Minecraft workshop

As the event approached and we were planning workshops, the idea of running an event related to the Minecraft Cup came up. They reached out to me again, and things started moving.

I had also been doing a part-time job at the Digital Making Council, so the conversation progressed with a vibe of, “Oh hey, Soumame is around, right?”.

On the day

On the day I participated as staff while wandering around various places on my own. Normally at events staff might stay in a waiting room, but the adults were also roaming around and handing business cards to the kids.

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This time the organizers prepared business cards that kids could use beforehand, so they could hand them out on the day.

Conversely, adults were also handing business cards to the kids, and I think it became a place where everyone could get various kinds of inspiration. When I was around elementary school age, seeing business cards made me think, “Wow!! That’s so cool!!!”—I wondered if the kids here felt the same.

I handed out a large number of Soumame stickers I had mass-produced to show kids my (financial) clout (lol).

soumame

Although when I say “financial clout,” it’s nothing compared to an elementary schooler’s allowance, lol.

I worried whether the kids who received these stickers would actually keep them and take them home, but when I checked X I found someone had taken a photo after receiving a Soumame sticker…!

ステッカーいっぱいもらったからまたノパソに貼ろう。名刺もいっぱい交換してきた。前夜に30枚印刷しといてよかった。
作品作りのきっかけとか思いつきの話がすげー面白かった
#CoolestProjectsJapan pic.twitter.com/OAnmKuB5d7

— 酉屋 (@toriya_u2a) March 31, 2026

soumame

Maybe next time I’ll make Soumame bonbon drop stickers? I hope the trend hasn’t passed.

What we did at the Minecraft Cup booth

Although it’s labeled as the Minecraft Cup, the activity was simply a plan to let people enjoy Minecraft. It wasn’t a workshop format; participants joined a single world and made whatever they liked together. Over a few hours a town formed, and it was exciting to watch.

soumame

I thought it felt a bit like a street piano.

My role was to find people who were stuck and help them achieve what they wanted to do, and to give a nudge to those who couldn’t find what they wanted to do (or couldn’t express it clearly) so they’d get inspired.

soumame

Or maybe, as an excuse, the real reason was that I just wanted to play Minecraft with everyone (well, as long as we’re having fun, that’s fine…)

Minecraft fans

There were quite a few Minecraft enthusiasts at the event, and some people had even participated in the Minecraft Cup before. I feel the Minecraft Cup has been growing year by year. While I was writing this article the overview of the 8th Minecraft Cup was released, and I think this is something that should continue for a long time.

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I think making events that run on goodwill sustainable is really difficult. Sponsors don’t have infinite budgets, and the people running things need to make a living too.

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Ideally, maybe someone who’s doing other work and has ample spare time can run events purely out of the desire to let others enjoy them?

The enthusiasm of volunteers

Not just at the Minecraft booth, but I was surprised by the passion of every adult who came. Trying to run an event of this scale primarily with volunteers and actually making it successful is amazing. It only works because of the enthusiasm and support of the adults organizing it, and I was moved.

There were people in charge of photography and video, so the event was well documented.

They involved many different people and gathered a crowd that didn’t feel like a first-time event. I wonder if it will be even bigger next year.

x.com

x.com

Coolest Projects Japan is scheduled to be held again next year, so I recommend following them on X and keeping an eye on updates from time to time!

soumame

I’d like to participate again next year if I have the chance!