Seibundo Shinkosha Co., Ltd.
17 people have been selected! Focus on the research content of the winners of “Elementary and Junior High School Student Tokoton Challenge 2024” [Project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first publication of the magazine “Children’s Science”]
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Children’s Science, a science magazine for elementary and junior high school students published by Seibundo Shinkosha Co., Ltd. (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo), will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. As a project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of children’s science, we will hold the next-generation educational program “Elementary and Junior High School Students Tokoton Challenge 2024” (sponsored by Seibundo Shinkosha Co., Ltd. and Leave a Nest Co., Ltd.) to support children’s “love”. Out of a total of 177 applications, 17 applicants and award winners have been selected.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-bc1d120f70e7489f9e3c-1.jpg&s3=12109-1582-b6245c2551667b0213fcf70bbff09b96-1920×1080.jpg] “Elementary and junior high school students Tokoton Challenge 2024” announced the recruiters!
https://www.kodomonokagaku.com/tokoton_2024_laureate/■Next-generation education program to make the future more interesting For 100 years, “Children’s Science” has continued to support children full of curiosity about science. Readers who grew up excited by stories of cutting-edge science, surprising experiments, and interesting crafts featured in magazines, as well as researchers who make great discoveries, including Nobel Prize winners, and groundbreaking researchers. Developers were born to invent.
As “Children’s Science” celebrates its 100th anniversary, “KIDS STARTUP PROJECT” supports children who explore what they like and take on challenges in order to contribute to the development of science and technology and make the future more interesting. We will launch the Kids Startup Project). The main project is the “Elementary and Junior High School Student Tokoton Challenge 2024,” a
next-generation educational program that allows students to fully master what they love.
We are looking for children who “like it” and “want to try it.” We will support this challenge in terms of “money,” “technology,” “information,” and “environment.”
■Finally, 17 applicants have been selected! Introducing the content of the research: Applications for the “Elementary and Junior High School Student Tokoton Challenge 2024” closed on March 3rd, and 177 enthusiastic “I like” and “I want to try” applications were submitted. A screening meeting will be held on March 10th. The 17 selected participants and the winners of each award have been decided.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-8062f7bab0155ac10f18-1.jpg&s3=12109-1582-0c88504e3319cc06c4304d359939dbbd-3900×1965.jpg] All of the applications were full of motivation and had great content, and the judges were troubled by their concerns. You can watch the judging session and messages from special judges Hiromi Yokoyama, Genki Ichioka, and Marina Fujiwara in the video below.
https://youtu.be/VDo80wWOGXc?si=I_vSOskBnn7q9dfENow, let’s introduce the 17 selected applicants and their research content. [17 Grand Prize winners] *Honorific title omitted, announced in the order of applications.We will be giving away up to 100,000 yen in research materials and support from experts until December! We plan to introduce the challenge in the magazine and on Coca-net. I’m already looking forward to the results presentation in December. ●Kousuke Yamada, 6th grade elementary school student “Development of horse manure fertilizer to grow delicious carrots”
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-ddfbc3ff15e70270bc21-2.jpg&s3=12109-1582-d72cc7955e26e1b7d85389508de650f4-1652×2481.jpg] Mr. Yamada had the opportunity to take care of retired racehorses at the ranch, and said he enjoyed taking care of the horses and cleaning the stalls. Since then, I have continued to help each month. I want to grow delicious carrots and make the retired horses on my farm happy! To that end, we are researching ways to effectively turn horse manure from farms into fertilizer. We will take on the challenge of “connecting what comes from horses to the happiness of horses.” ●Aki Okada, 5th grade elementary school student “How to identify individual Tokyo salamanders”
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-eb10dd71d0b05ec6228a-3.jpg&s3=12109-1582-929370e1953c3b67ad41d450a354e62b-551×772.jpg] Mr. Okada loves living things, especially amphibians. He has been participating in conservation activities for the Tokyo salamander and other animals since he was in the second grade of elementary school, and has also started researching and observing habitats. Because of this, it is said that there are many problems with individual identification. This time, we will be conducting research to apply the iris recognition technology that we discovered in an article in “Children’s Science” to identify individual Tokyo salamanders. ●Shinaya Hirayama, 1st year junior high school student “Research on minerals and rocks ~Science minerals!~”
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-c11998012ef3fe029a40-4.jpg&s3=12109-1582-375d583824d9ab5e216b816ad221412e-3900×2925.jpg] Mr. Hirayama has been researching minerals and rocks since he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, mainly through field work. I am interested in experiments that involve heating minerals. Students acquire the skills to conduct experiments from a scientific
perspective under appropriate conditions, and carry out research ideas that may lead to new discoveries. ●Ena Urano, 5th grade elementary school student “Reproduction and breeding of spider starfish”
[Image 6: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-38cb36d5c996e363953a-5.jpg&s3=12109-1582-d35a3d9e66ba8f59378d3f7d49489364-2025×2700.jpg ]
While raising various creatures, Mr. Urano noticed that the number of arms of the spider star that had settled in the saltwater aquarium was decreasing, and that the short arms were regenerating. We will be observing how spider starfish regenerate their lost arms and uncover the secret behind their regenerative ability. – Reimei Sakurai, 4th grade elementary school student: “I want to become an adult who can learn about metal processing and electricity and make things that are useful to others.”
[Image 7: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-7690012f058c08624749-6.jpg&s3=12109-1582-c521f4cb75543413c01b4057651dfcb3-1043×1570.jp g ]
Mr. Sakurai became interested after watching a YouTube video of a modified Beyblade and B-Daman, and entered the Koma Taisen tournament using a modified Koma that he had made himself. As he creates various things, he often feels danger… He learns the basics of manufacturing from experts, acquires techniques, and takes on the challenge of further magical modification. ●Shunsuke Inoue, 5th grade elementary school student “Developing a water purifier that produces the world’s most delicious water”
[Image 8: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-b91a0469e98cefc7397f-7.jpg&s3=12109-1582-ed2667d0e42d392d88593eedfe1ffd2f-929×1239.jpg] During a social studies field trip to a water purification plant, Mr. Inoue became interested in the importance of water and the process by which tap water is produced at a water purification plant. Knowing that delicious water is connected to delicious drinks and food, I decided that I wanted to research and develop tap water into famous water by investigating the components of water known as “famous water.” First, let’s start with a water quality test. ●Daigo Sato, 3rd grade elementary school student: “I want to help the visually impaired using my cool white cane!”
[Image 9: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-6b37e900b13a813c1b82-8.jpg&s3=12109-1582-334332c70bdb4ffe4766bbec0ddcbd74-2025×2700.jpg] During his summer vacation, Mr. Sato researched “Why don’t humans have compound eyes?” Based on my interest in the human eye, I will investigate life in the blind world. This led to my desire to help people with visual impairments, and I came up with the idea of developing a white cane equipped with functions necessary for daily life. ●Sumire Taniguchi, 3rd grade elementary school student “Make educational sweets like never before!!!”
[Image 10: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-def2de2061845cc987fe-9.jpg&s3=12109-1582-e31ddeb0f42f24c14c4b0d446e06ee6e-655×817.jpg] Mr. Taniguchi loves making and eating sweets. I’ve bought and made almost all kinds of educational sweets, but I want to make more interesting, mysterious, and cute sweets that I’ve never seen before! While learning science, we will take on the challenge of developing powder for this purpose. ●Yuta Fukuda, 6th grade elementary school student “I want to collect the elements on the periodic table by myself by synthesizing, extracting, and collecting them naturally!!”
[Image 11: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-55B5CFC4E848381764D0-19.jpg &s3=12109-1582-EB68B9D8E63AD50E629A40422220 bfbb-2025X2700.jpg] While doing various scientific experiments at home, Mr. Fukuda got hooked on elements, and even got hooked on collecting rocks. You will learn how to collect, synthesize and extract stones containing elements, how to handle dangerous chemicals, and create your own laboratory. The goal is to get 79 elements from the 1st to 17th genus and 1st to 6th period of the periodic table. ●Yuki Takigawa, 3rd grade elementary school student “Delicious and nutritious disaster prevention food made from foods that would otherwise be thrown away”
[Image 12: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-d6bd87ACD50f971df364-11.jpg &s3=12109-1582-C66AD602FE072CDB77FD2 8D-2025X2700.jpg]
Earthquake early warning broadcast on New Year’s TV. Mr. Takigawa learned about the living conditions of the people of Ishikawa Prefecture and wondered if he could do something about it, so he thought it would be possible to make disaster prevention food out of food waste that was still delicious and edible. I will research whether leftover food is spoiled or not, and how I can make it delicious. ●Kosuke Kameda, 3rd year junior high school student “Investigating the ecology of the Japanese silvertail flycatcher”
[Image 13: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-47f9263dbdbde563596f-12.jpg&s3=12109-1582-0ca227287e58ec56efb5197232d2f7be-2277×2659.jpg] The invasive species, the staghorn flycatcher, which recently landed in Japan, is an insect that causes damage to agricultural crops, but its ecology has not yet been fully understood. Mr. Kameda has revealed through his own research that they tend to gather on the leaves near the center of plants, and with the help he received from this field experiment method, he will be able to discover countermeasures to eliminate them all at once. ●Takayoshi Seike, 6th grade elementary school student “A device that transports people and objects from the first floor to the second floor using magnetic force”
[Image 14: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-CBE5A6B42C64AC838E8D-13.jpg &s3=12109-1582-8aA668115EDF0D651515DF0D6584EB96451 1a1f-2194×2925.jpg] The neighbor’s “loving old man” suffered a stroke and is now in a wheelchair, and is no longer able to go up to the second floor, where everyone usually hangs out. Mr. Seike saw the linear conveyor module developed by YAMAHA and came up with the idea of applying it to create a device to transport wheelchairs to the second floor. Learn design and programming and take on the challenge of development. ●Kazatsu Miyahara, 5th grade elementary school student: “I want to create and commercialize a posture control sensor called “Metabok”. ”
[Image 15: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-b7ba5d4bd0edffd0f970-14.jpg&s3=12109-1582-7e8c9fcc53416d323b736df0a27784a9-538×403.jpg] Miyahara says she is often warned that she has bad posture. I developed a simple sensor for correcting posture using micro:bit, but I will improve it to make it even more practical. While learning the knowledge to create apps and commercialize them, we will create something that everyone can use. ●Tomomi Sato, 6th grade elementary school “Macaron research”
[Image 16: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-ca431fc9ee89de9965a8-15.jpg&s3=12109-1582-e51132505833105e520b1c1665b05303-737×951.jpg] Sato, who loves cooking, made macarons and won a prize in a national competition when she was in second grade. However, making macarons is difficult even for experienced craftsmen, and as I researched it, I learned that scientific knowledge is greatly involved. While elucidating the scientific basis for making delicious macarons, we will develop new macarons that are even more delicious and medically superior. ●Fumitori Watanabe, 5th grade elementary school student “Scientifically verifying whether proverbs actually mean the same thing”
[Image 17: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-c3311c39485b0492ae39-16.jpg&s3=12109-1582-b808f7db2b59f4a62d2c50a875372c8f-3900×2600. jpg ]
Mr. Watanabe, who loves words and letters, created the “Watanabe Family Dictionary of Proverbs and Idioms” as part of his third-year independent research. Mr. Watanabe, who also loves science, is excited to test proverbs like, “Can eye drops really be made from the second floor?” We have scientifically verified many proverbs and found that it is super scientific! Proven! We aim to create a new proverb dictionary. ● Naoshun Samejima, 5th grade elementary school student “Make life-sized original origami”
[Image 18: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-fe23627bd166b33ff6-17.jpg &s3=12109-1582-28C3694AC1CC1CC1CC61317397B1 77a6-2194X2925.jpg] Mr. Samejima wants to create an original, large-scale origami work that no one has ever made before. Can you make origami of a life-sized (9m!) Ankylosaurus skeleton? While learning how to make original origami into origami patterns, we will recruit elementary school origami friends and work together to take on the challenge. ●Yoshida Hi, 1st year junior high school student “Research on strengthening and decomposition of milk protein resin”
[Image 19: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-8375de1bfe2e37d435b6-18.jpg&s3=12109-1582-b28ad2339a19de7ef7bdba7b85a8009c-2025×2700.jpg] Mr. Yoshida, who was allergic to dairy products until he was 6 years old, has been involved in experiments and observations related to dairy products as part of his independent research from 1st to 6th grade. We will further advance our research into biodegradable resins derived from milk proteins, and come up with an idea that will protect the ecosystem by preventing rivers, oceans, and the creatures that live there from becoming contaminated with microplastics. [Special Judges’ Award for 7 people] *Honorific title omitted, presented in the order of applications The award will be given to the challenge content that the judges evaluate as particularly excellent, and limited support will be provided. ●Yuzou Masuda, 2nd year junior high school student: “Junior high school students take a serious challenge! Space Japanese food made with Shizuoka ingredients” ●Yuu Kinoshita, 3rd year junior high school student: “I want to make my own smartphone!” ” ● Natsuki Usui, 2nd year junior high school student, “Discovery of physical sterilization structure 3: Aiming for practical application” ● Rinako Kikuchi, 4th grade elementary school student, “The creation of a glue-erasing robot” ● Mona Koide, 4th grade elementary school student, “Science I want to write a book on the theme of “I want to write a book on the theme.”● Hisashi Shibuya, 1st year junior high school student “Thoroughly investigate the relationship between mathematics and music!” Kota Tanaka, 3rd year junior high school student “Research to reduce the influence of wind and increase the strength of bridges I want to deepen my knowledge!” [Game Creator Division] We will take on the challenge of game development with the support of professional creators from the game company Asobism! ●Asobism Award (Selected) Sota Kasama, 1st year junior high school student “Color Match”
[Image 20: https://prtimes.jp/i/12109/1582/resize/d12109-1582-f5f706bf7731299b6d90-19.jpg&s3=12109-1582-a8b32f060ad8dae8ba28a4c13fdef824-1143×1600.jpg] We added new rules to the three-match puzzle game, aiming to create a game that is satisfying, fun, and easy to operate. Up until now, I have been creating games using Scratch, but this time I am trying my hand at creating a smartphone app using Unity. ●Special Award: Daiki Yamashita, 1st year junior high school student, “Production of the game “Boss Battle with Dragonfly” [Partner Company Award] This is a special award presented by each partner company. ●Mitsui Chemicals Prize Yuta Fukuda, 6th grade elementary school student “I want to collect the elements of the periodic table by synthesizing,
extracting, and collecting them naturally!!” ●MetaMoJi Prize Shuhei Fukunaga, 5th grade elementary school student “I want to create a computer that does not use electricity”● MMOL Prize: Makiko Baba, 4th grade elementary school student, “Development of an app that allows you to talk with Sengoku warlords” Miraiya Shoten Award, Chiori Hosokawa, 5th grade elementary school student, “Invention of “e-books that can be flipped and read”” Takuto Munenobu, 3rd grade elementary school student “Creating a museum that collects living things from around the world (new species)” Tomoharu Kasa, 6th grade elementary school student “Researching the world of Kaoru Hayamine’s books using AI” Ibuki Hiraiwa, 2nd grade junior high school student “KAI, a waterside garbage collection robot ( From now on, we will be introducing everyone’s research in the magazine “Children’s Science” and the website “Kokanet”, so please keep an eye out! ■“Elementary and Junior High School Students Tokoton Challenge 2024” Management System [Sponsor] Seibundo Shinkosha Co., Ltd. (Children’s Science), Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. [Special Cooperation] NEST EdLAB Co., Ltd. [Judge] ●Judge Noi Nagatachizaki (Co., Ltd.) (Leave Nest Malting Generator) ●Special Jury Hiromi Yokoyama (Professor, University of Tokyo; Deputy Director, Kavli Institute for the Physics and
Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo) Genki Ichioka (Science Artist, Science YouTuber) Marina Fujiwara (Inventor, (Content Creator)●Judge Daigo Fujita (Representative Director of NEST EdLAB Co., Ltd.) Kentaro Tsuchidate (Editor-in-Chief of Children’s Science) ■Partner companies supporting the 100th anniversary of Children’s Science Children’s Science 100th Anniversary Project Introducing partner companies that support the Kids Startup Project. 100th anniversary teaser site: https://www.kodomonokagaku.com/100th/ [Platinum Partner] Asovism Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals Co., Ltd. [Gold Partner] MMOL Holdings Co., Ltd., Toshiba Science Museum, MetaMoji Co., Ltd., Digi-Key [Silver Partner] J-POWER [Bronze Partner] Tokai Sangyo Co., Ltd., Akizuki Electronics Trading Co., Ltd.
[Media/Facility Partner] Miraiya Shoten Co., Ltd., Science and Technology Public Relations Foundation, Shintaro Yamada D&I
Foundation, Stocks Companies Kinokuniya Shoten, Kodansha Coquelico, GENKI LABO Co., Ltd. When new partner companies join, we will announce them on the official website etc. We are also looking for partner companies to cooperate with the “Kids Startup Project,” a project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the publication of Children’s Science. If you would like to consider becoming a partner company, please contact us using the form below. “Children’s Science” Editorial Department: https://www.kodomonokagaku.com/inquiry/■Magazine “Children’s Science” “Children’s Science” is a science magazine for elementary and junior high school students that was first published in 1924. For about 100 years, we have been introducing cutting-edge science to children in a fun and easy-to-understand way. We cover anything that interests children, such as space, living things, robots, the environment, and computers. Each issue is filled with articles about creative experiments, crafts, and programming. This is a magazine that fosters a “scientific mind” through experience. Children’s science website “Kokanet”: https://www.kodomonokagaku.com ■ Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. Leave a Nest, a group of researchers, was founded in 2001 by 15 science and engineering students, and its spirit continues to this day. It is. Each employee sets their own “issues” and works to solve them together with many researchers and companies who share their “passion,” thereby realizing the advancement of science and technology and contributing to the earth. Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. https://lne.st/■ NEST Co., Ltd. EdLABNEST LAB. (Nest Lab) is an online research school for elementary and junior high school students with the theme of “pursuing your passion and creating knowledge.” Based on the know-how in education, human resources, research, and business start-up that Leave a Nest, a research group, has cultivated for 20 years, NEST Education (JST “Junior Doctor Training School” project), which discovers and develops talent in elementary and junior high school students, is a private company. Through this program, we discover and develop the talents of each child. “NEST LAB.” https://school.lne.st/ [Magazine overview] “Children’s Science” May 2024 issue Specification: B5 size, 112 pages List price: 770 yen (tax included) Release date: 10th of every month Official release site: https://www.kodomonokagaku.com [Click here to purchase the magazine] Seibundo Shinkosha Magazine introduction page: https://www.seibundo-shinkosha.net/magazine/kids/86777/ [Magazine For inquiries, please contact: Seibundo Shinkosha Co., Ltd. 3-3-11 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Home page:
https://www.seibundo-shinkosha.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook .com/seibundoshinkosha/Twitter: https://twitter.com/seibundo_hanbai More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001582.000012109.html