The Exciting Conclusion of the 2025 Zero One Grand Slam Programming Championship

On December 7, 2025, the finale of the Zero One Grand Slam, a national programming competition for elementary school students, was held at Ikebukuro's Sunshine City Fountain Square. This event, organized by the Junior Programming Promotion Organization in collaboration with Shogakukan and Shogakukan Production, celebrates the skills and ingenuity of Japan's young programmers.

The Zero One Grand Slam, commonly referred to as "Zero Gra," aims to provide elementary school students with the same competitive experience as traditional sports like baseball and soccer. This year, approximately 1,200 students participated, with only 12 outstanding finalists making it to the championship round after a series of rigorous web qualifiers and two preliminary rounds.

A Class of Their Own: The Grand Finale

The atmosphere in the venue was electric, with an audience that included excited parents and onlookers holding handmade cheering goods. The competition not only drew attention from those who knew of the event but also captivated a wider audience, who were astounded by the students' programming capabilities.

Special judges for the event included prominent figures like Kazuhira Kobayashi, head of Yamaha Motor Company's Robotics Division, Masumi Nagatani, technical director at Cygames, and Madoka Chiyoda, Microsoft Cloud Developer Advocate. Their presence added a layer of prestige to this already significant event.

The Scramble Battle: A Test of Strategies

The first contest featured the robot competition known as "Scramble Battle," where teams showcased their autonomous robots programmed to collect colored blocks placed on the field to earn points. The competition required teams to strategize against their opponents in real-time, leading to unexpected twists. Notably, a new green block was introduced as an