UWAJIMA MEDIA LAB｜INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SPECIAL LIVE
The "Kanji Heroes" created by children from Kihoku Town will cross the ocean to Pasadena, USA. Uwajima and the world will be connected live.
On Saturday, August 29, 2026, Uwajima Media Lab will host an international exchange event, "Kanji Heroes Make Their World Debut!" connecting the Uwajima Youth Exchange Center Horibata with the Pasadena Convention Center in California, USA, via YouTube Live.
These are original heroes created by children from Kihoku Town based on the meaning and image of kanji characters. Their works will be showcased at Power Morphicon 2026, an event that gathers tokusatsu and Power Rangers fans. Feedback and reactions from the U.S. venue will be delivered to Uwajima, fostering exchanges that transcend language, generation, and distance.
Event Overview
- Date
- Saturday, August 29, 2026
- Time
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Venue
- Uwajima Youth Exchange Center Horibata
- Address
- 1-25 Horibata-cho, Uwajima, Ehime
- U.S. Venue
- Pasadena Convention Center
Power Morphicon 2026 Venue - Live Content
- The "Kanji Heroes" drawn by children from Kihoku will be introduced at the U.S. venue, and live feedback and messages from local participants will be delivered to Uwajima. We will also introduce Uwajima and explain the Uwajima Media Lab project.
- YouTube Stream
- The event will be live-streamed on the official CSTOYS YouTube channel. Anyone can watch.
- Organizer
- Certified Non-Profit Organization Uwajima NPO Center
YouTube Live Stream
You can watch the special live stream connecting Uwajima and the U.S. venue. The stream will be from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 29, 2026. Anyone can watch.
If the stream window does not appear, please watch from the YouTube streaming page. Due to communication conditions, the start time may change, or video/audio may be temporarily interrupted.
Turning Children's Creations into Global Dialogue
The purpose of this project is not merely to display the works overseas. It is an attempt to record what children have thought, drawn, and put into words locally, convey it overseas using video and English, and bring the feedback back to the community.
Discover
Focus on the meaning of kanji and local culture to foster ideas for unique heroes.
Create
Use drawings, words, photos, and videos to communicate discoveries in an understandable form.
Connect
Utilize YouTube and English to create dialogue between Uwajima/Nanyo and people overseas.
Uwajima Media Lab's International Exchange and Global Outreach
Uwajima Media Lab is a practical regional media project where young people, including junior high, high school, and university students, cover local news and disseminate information using writing, photos, audio, video, and English. We aim not only to record the "now" of the region but also to connect these records to human dialogue, transforming them into a force that moves Uwajima forward.
This "Kanji Heroes Make Their World Debut!" event is an international exchange project that symbolizes these activities. By connecting children's creations, local records, YouTube streaming, English introductions, and overseas reactions, we will foster "communicating from the region to the world" as a core pillar of the Uwajima Media Lab project.
The Horibata venue on the day of the event will not only be a viewing site for the live stream but also a place for explaining the Uwajima Media Lab project and guiding participation. We will introduce upcoming activities to all who are interested in "covering local news," "taking photos and videos," "radio and YouTube," or "introducing Uwajima in English." Let's witness the moment Uwajima connects with the world together at Horibata.
Designated Project for Ehime Prefecture's "Population Decline Countermeasure Activity Grant"
EHIME PREFECTURE NPO ACTIVITY GRANT 2026
FY2026 Ehime Prefecture NPO Activity Grant Program
(Population Decline Countermeasure Activity Grant)
The Certified Non-Profit Organization Uwajima NPO Center has received a grant decision for Ehime Prefecture's "FY2026 Ehime Prefecture NPO Activity Grant Program (Population Decline Countermeasure Activity Grant)." The designated project name is "Uwajima Media Lab" First-Year Demonstration Project for Youth Development through AI and Local Coverage.
This "Kanji Heroes Make Their World Debut!" event is also held as part of this first-year demonstration project. By recording children's creations locally, delivering them overseas via YouTube and English, and connecting feedback from the world back to the community, we aim to foster young people's attachment and pride in their region, and their power of information dissemination.
Participate in Uwajima Media Lab
Uwajima Media Lab offers a "Community Club Program" for junior high school students and a "Media Lab Program" for high school and university students. Please see the details from the links below according to your target group.
FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Junior High School
Community Club Program
This is an ongoing learning program where students walk through the community, meet people, and communicate what they've covered through writing, photos, audio, and video.
- Local coverage and interviews
- Photo, video, and article production
- Radio, YouTube, and English communication
- Guidance for tours and experiential participation available
FOR HIGH SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
High School & University Students
Media Lab Program
This program teaches and practices local history, culture, and issues, from coverage to recording, editing, and dissemination.
- Special lectures by experts
- Town walks and local coverage
- Article, audio, and video production
- Information dissemination connecting the region and the world
Organizer: Certified Non-Profit Organization Uwajima NPO Center
Artwork Production Cooperation: General Incorporated Association Canvas
Planning and Streaming Cooperation: CSTOYS International
Venue Cooperation: Uwajima Youth Exchange Center Horibata
Activity Base Communication Environment Cooperation: Uwajima Cable TV Co., Ltd.
This project is implemented as part of the "Uwajima Media Lab" First-Year Demonstration Project, which received a grant decision for the FY2026 Ehime Prefecture NPO Activity Grant Program (Population Decline Countermeasure Activity Grant).
Contact: Certified Non-Profit Organization Uwajima NPO Center
2-4-13 Chuo-cho, Uwajima-shi, Ehime 798-0040
TEL: 0895-49-3563｜E-mail：info@uwajima-npo-center.jp
English Summary 英語概要
Kanji Heroes Make Their World Debut!
On Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Japan time, the Uwajima Media Lab will host a special international exchange event connecting the Uwajima Youth Exchange Center Horibata with the Pasadena Convention Center in California via YouTube Live.
Uwajima venue: Uwajima Youth Exchange Center Horibata, 1-25 Horibata-cho, Uwajima, Ehime, Japan
U.S. venue: Pasadena Convention Center, Power Morphicon 2026
The livestream is open for everyone to watch on the official CSTOYS YouTube channel.
The original “Kanji Heroes” created by children in Kihoku Town will be showcased at Power Morphicon 2026. Comments and reactions from visitors at the U.S. venue will be shared live with the audience in Uwajima, creating a dialogue across languages, generations, and distance.
This event represents international exchange and global outreach as a core pillar of the Uwajima Media Lab. The project helps young people discover local stories and communicate them through writing, photography, audio, video, and English. The Horibata venue will also serve as an information session for the project and its upcoming programs.
- Regional Club Program for Junior High School Students
- Uwajima Media Lab Program for High School and University Students
Organized by the Uwajima Media Lab, a division of the Uwajima NPO Center, with livestreaming support from CSTOYS International. The Uwajima Media Lab pilot has received official grant approval under Ehime Prefecture’s FY2026 NPO Activity Grant, in the Population Decline Countermeasures category.