Encouraging High School Athletes with the Aerial Cup Project at the Inter-High Championships

In a heartfelt initiative, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has taken a significant step to support high school athletes participating in the 2026 Inter-High Championships, officially known as 'Youth Progressing Towards Dreams: Kinki General Sports Festival 2026'. This event started on July 22 and runs until August 21, 2026, across several regions including Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Fukushima, and Hokkaido. Otsuka has been a special sponsor of this prestigious sports festival for 13 consecutive years since 2014, providing their well-known beverage, Pocari Sweat, to athletes and encouraging them with various forms of support.

This year, Otsuka is not just providing hydration, but has also launched the ‘In High Aerial Project’, aiming to uplift the spirits of athletes and supporters alike. Among the striking features of this initiative are the 'determination posters' created from the enthusiastic messages of high school athletes from all 47 prefectures of Japan, as well as the innovative 'Aerial Cups' that will be handed out at the event.

Starting from July 23, the Aerial Cups, which will contain handwritten encouragement messages from local communities and fellow student supporters, were distributed together with Pocari Sweat at basketball, athletics, and tennis venues. From July 28, the cups reached basketball players, followed by athletics starting July 30, and tennis from August 2. Athletes receiving these cups expressed their delight, saying things like, 'I might stick it on my squeeze bottle' and 'I appreciate the support from people I don't even know!', manifesting smiles amidst their pre-competition tension. Additionally, many athletes were seen carefully peeling off the positive messages to take them home as treasured tokens.

The 'Aerial Cup' project is now in its third consecutive year, benefiting from a remarkable influx of encouragement messages. Various activities preceding the competition, such as the Grand Opening Ceremony and events like 'GO! Inter-High 2026' in Nara and 'In High Aerial Festival-HYOGO' in Hyogo, have allowed community and student supporters to contribute their encouraging words, which were inscribed on stickers to be attached to the Aerial Cups. The participation rate was overwhelming with around 5,000 encouraging notes set to be distributed to the athletes.

In addition, each year they focus on acknowledging the athletes' earnest aspirations. A nationwide call was made to collect the heartfelt decision messages of athletes during the pre-qualifying rounds for the Inter-High in their respective prefectures. From across the nation, the athletes' various motivations, promises, and thank-yous to their families were captured in a total of 1,995 messages, culminating in the creation of highly stylized 'determination posters'. These posters will be displayed prominently at the competition venues and in Pocari Sweat retail outlets nationwide, celebrating the athletes' drive.

As another exciting addition to the Aerial Project, Otsuka has introduced the 'Pocari Sweat Inter-High NFT', launched specifically for high school students who support the event. This unique opportunity aims to recognize their volunteer efforts through blockchain-backed certificates that ensure authenticity and traceability. Moreover, successful volunteers will also receive exclusive digital content, including a custom smartphone wallpaper and certificates that acknowledge their volunteer work—allowing them to pave the way toward future educational and employment opportunities.

Through the Aerial Project, Otsuka aims not only to hydrate athletes but also to celebrate and recognize their journeys, contributions, and the support of their communities. This initiative represents a spectrum of commitment from Otsuka, emphasizing their dedication to promoting the potential of every high school athlete engaging in this iconic sporting event. By providing these personalized messages of encouragement, Otsuka reinforces their belief in the power of support and the significance of the Inter-High in shaping the future of aspiring athletes throughout Japan.