#Japan #Tokyo #Sega XD #Asahi Gakken #Tanki Mirai Lab

Launching the 'Tanki Mirai Lab'

Sega XD, known for their gamification initiatives, and Asahi Gakken's subsidiary, Asahi Gakken Think Quest, have joined forces in an exciting new project called 'Tanki Mirai Lab'. This initiative aims to create educational opportunities for children by collaborating with them and reflecting their voices in the development process.

The goal of the 'Tanki Mirai Lab' is to cultivate future possibilities through co-creation with children, specifically targeting elementary school students who engage actively with play and learning in their community known as 'Tanki Kids'. The project seeks to ensure that learning becomes a pursuit that children can immerse themselves in.

Background for the Card Game Development

With ongoing societal changes driven by demographic shifts and technological advancements, children are faced with new challenges in understanding the diversity of available career paths. Some of the issues addressed include:

• - The demand for diverse skills and perspectives is evolving as society and work culture change significantly.
• - Opportunities for children to encounter various professions are limited, often influenced by parents, teachers, and available educational content.
• - The chances for children to serendipitously discover careers that align with their interests and talents are dwindling.

This backdrop has led to the creation of a card game aimed at providing children with exposure to a wide range of professions, helping them visualize their future careers based on their interests.

Features of the Card Game

This innovative card game will revolve around solving real-world social issues through the application of various professional skills, formatted as a competitive card game. The design promotes intuitive understanding of each profession's role in society and ignites interest in underrepresented careers.

Key Features:

• - Meeting Diverse Professions: The game allows for exploration of unique occupational roles, generating interest in jobs that are typically not encountered in daily life, thus broadening children's future prospects.
• - Experiencing Social Mechanisms: By tackling various missions with multiple profession cards, players will experience how diverse jobs collaborate to uphold society, enhancing their understanding of the importance of various roles.
• - Raising Awareness of Social Issues: Playing the game incorporates actual social challenges as missions, fostering children’s awareness of current and future societal issues while they learn playfully.

The card game is designed mainly for elementary school students and will be utilized across educational institutions, homes, and events nationwide. After thorough development and a Proof of Concept (PoC) phase, a general release is anticipated by 2026. Subsequently, the initiative will expand into career experiences and collaborations with local businesses, helping children discover their passions and skills.

Co-Creating Engaging Experiences with 'Tanki Kids'

The project involves members from 'Tanki Kids', a community dedicated to play-based learning, organized through Asahi Gakken Think Quest's educational content platform, Kids Net. Students’ genuine feedback will be integrated into the card game's design, ensuring that the developed experience resonates strongly with them.

The recruitment for new members of 'Tanki Kids' is currently underway. For more details, visit their recruitment page: Tanki Kids Recruitment.

Comments from the Executives

Masato Ito, CEO of Sega XD

“Our partnership with Asahi Gakken Think Quest allows us to maximize our ability to engage children through collaborative creation, expanding their future possibilities. We aim to provide enjoyable opportunities for children to investigate a wide range of professions, enabling them to envision their future choices proactively. The commitment of Asahi Gakken to intellectual adventures for every child resonates deeply with our mission to create exciting learning experiences.”

Hiroshi Maruyama, President of Asahi Gakken Think Quest

“We are thrilled to achieve a new form of career education through our collaboration with Sega XD, where children can ‘learn while being engaged’. The expertise that Sega XD brings in creating motivating gaming experiences will meld seamlessly with our educational focus, generating unprecedented learning opportunities.”

About Kids Net

Kids Net is an educational portal launched in 1996, originally stemming from Gakken's popular publications, engaging elementary and middle school students and featuring a variety of content, including scientific inquiry projects and career exploration.

Visit Kids Net: Kids Net

Companies Overview

Asahi Gakken Think Quest aims to foster a love of learning through educational content that encourages children to ask questions, think critically, and make discoveries. They focus on developing resources that are accessible to all age groups, aspiring to cultivate a joy of learning across generations.

Sega XD specializes in gamification techniques to tackle business and societal challenges, leveraging their creativity and technological knowledge in the gaming industry to drive engagement and interaction. Their strengths lie in experience design and marketing platform development.

For more information, please visit Sega XD and Asahi Gakken.