Computational Action in Practice: Japan’s Regional Appathon Finalists Announced
Ten finalist teams ranging from elementary school students to high school sophomores advance to the National Finals taking place in Tokyo, Japan, on March 1, 2026.
The App Inventor Foundation is proud to highlight the Japan Wagamama Awards 2026, an official Regional Appathon partner program led by IRODORI Inc. in Tokyo.
Now in its third year, the Japan Wagamama Awards demonstrates how computational action can take root in local communities. The program is built on a simple but powerful premise: meaningful social change can begin with a single personal wish.
In Japan, this philosophy is expressed through the idea that transformation often starts with “just one person.” Students are invited to begin not from abstract global problems, but from their own lived experiences — or those of someone close to them — and to turn those experiences into action using MIT App Inventor.
Ten finalist teams ranging from elementary school students to high school sophomores have advanced to the National Final, which will take place in Tokyo on March 1, 2026.
Ten projects rooted in lived experience
What distinguishes the Japan Regional Appathon is the depth of personal connection behind each entry. Students do not propose distant solutions to unfamiliar problems. They work on challenges they are actively navigating in their daily lives.
This year’s finalists are listed below.
Understanding Developmental Disabilities: Three sixth-grade students from Nasushiobara City developed an app to help classmates better understand developmental disabilities. Drawing from their own experiences in a special support classroom, they aim to foster mutual understanding among peers.
Building Accessible Cities: A high school team from Ishikawa Prefecture created a restaurant accessibility information app after witnessing a family member struggle with mobility challenges and limited barrier-free information.
Embracing Individual Passions: A second-year high school student built an app that affirms niche interests and curiosity, responding to personal experiences of social isolation after being told his interests were “strange.”
Learning Beyond Grades: Reflecting on how evaluation-focused education can suppress intrinsic motivation, a student designed an app that encourages curiosity-driven learning and inquiry rooted in personal interest.
Safer School Routes: A middle school student created an app that naturally raises safety awareness within communities to protect younger siblings commuting long distances.
Staying Connected Across Distance: A first-year high school student developed an app to strengthen emotional connection with a parent living apart due to educational circumstances.
Peer Support for Children of Divorce: A sixth-grade student built a platform to amplify the voices of children from divorced families, based on his own lived experience.
Astronomy and Mental Health: A high school student combined star observation with mental recovery, creating an app designed to ease cognitive fatigue and support emotional well-being.
Supporting LGBTQ Youth: A student developed a safe consultation platform so LGBTQ youth can communicate their feelings to parents and guardians in an environment of trust.
Taking Steps with Anxiety: A high school student living with anxiety disorder created an app to help users move forward step by step while navigating uncertainty and emotional difficulty.
Together, these projects illustrate a central principle of Computational Action: when young people begin with what matters deeply to them, their work naturally expands to benefit their communities.
A regional appathon connecting to the global community
The National Final will be held on March 1, 2026 (10:30–17:00 JST) at AKKODiS Innovation Lab in Tokyo, with simultaneous online streaming.
Members of the App Inventor Foundation will travel to Japan to serve as judges:
Natalie Lao, CEO & Executive Director, App Inventor Foundation
Kelly Shiohira, Director of Impact and Community Engagement, App Inventor Foundation
Program highlights include:
Finalist presentations by all 10 teams
Feedback and judging by Foundation leadership
Awards ceremony and audience voting
The Grand Prize winner will travel to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in summer 2026 to present their project in English on a global stage, connecting Japan’s Regional Appathon to the broader App Inventor ecosystem.
Through this pathway, action that begins with one person can resonate worldwide.
From one person to global impact
Across the global Regional Appathon network, young people are demonstrating that computing can serve as a bridge between personal identity and community transformation.
In Japan, this takes a particularly reflective form. Students often begin with experiences they are personally navigating, such as developmental disabilities, anxiety disorders, family separation, social belonging, educational pressure, or identity. Rather than distancing themselves from these realities, they use creative computing to understand them more deeply and to build tools that support others facing similar challenges.
This model demonstrates how AI and computer science education can cultivate agency, empathy, and civic engagement simultaneously.
By partnering with the Japan Wagamama Awards, the App Inventor Foundation continues its mission to democratize AI and computer science education worldwide, empowering youth to not only code, but to act.
About IRODORI Inc.
IRODORI Inc. envisions communities where every individual can pursue challenges that reflect their own unique “color.”
Working in collaboration with municipalities, schools, and corporations across Japan, IRODORI develops practical platforms that enable residents — especially young people — to turn personal concerns into social action.
Its flagship initiative, Wagamama Lab, invites participants to begin from a single deeply personal wish and transform it into a community-based solution through creative technology. Through partnerships with the App Inventor Foundation and global networks, IRODORI connects local action in Japan to international stages.
Media Inquiries
Japan Wagamama Awards Secretariat / IRODORI Inc.
Contact: Takei
TEL: +81-3-6823-0836
Email: jwa@irodori-group.jp
Website: https://irodori-group.jp/