Bunkyo University Showcases Innovations at Niconico Chokaigi 2026

On April 25th and 26th, Bunkyo University’s Faculty of Information Science proudly participated in the Niconico Chokaigi 2026 event held at Makuhari Messe. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the event, recognized as one of Japan's largest user-participatory gatherings. The event featured a wide range of activities that embraced popular subcultures such as singing, dancing, gaming, cosplay, and Vocaloid, alongside initiatives from businesses, local governments, education institutions, and political sectors. It was executed as a hybrid event, combining on-site experiences with online streaming.

This year marked Bunkyo University’s fourth appearance at Niconico Chokaigi.

Event Highlights

At the exhibition, students showcased several notable projects, including AI-generated comments mimicking those of Niconico's live broadcasts and game content that utilized glasses-free 3D displays. The students presented their system designs, magazines developed from scratch through their own research and design efforts, and video content shot in campus studios. These displays aimed to convey the practical learning outcomes achieved by the students to attendees.

In addition to the Information Science materials, posters detailing the Faculty of Health and Nutrition's initiatives were also displayed, providing high school visitors insights into various fields and distinctive features available at Bunkyo University’s Shonan Campus.

Student Reflections on the Experience

Student Mirai Moriya, a third-year of Information Systems, expressed, “Based on my studies in the Information Systems program, I’ve been actively involved in system development outside the university. This exhibition provided me the opportunity to present my activities to attendees. While explaining our projects, I realized the importance of not just developing technology but also effectively communicating it to users in an understandable manner.”

Fourth-year Media Expression student Kinoshita Muto shared, “The venue was bustling with people from diverse age groups, and I was struck by the lively atmosphere. Many attendees, including children and cosplay fans, took photos with the BUNKO mascot, something I will always remember. It was a valuable experience that allowed us to engage in lively interactions unique to this event.”

Insights from High School Visitors

High school students shared their thoughts after visiting the Bunkyo booth:

- “This was a fantastic opportunity to systematically learn about the educational offerings within the faculty and perceive how knowledge accumulates in specialized fields.”
- “By experiencing the students’ creations firsthand, I could concretely imagine the knowledge and skills I would acquire post-enrollment, as well as envision my growth thereafter.”
- “Previously, I had not strongly considered my academic path, but engaging directly with professors and students allowed me to gain a clearer picture of university life and studies.”
- “I felt a significant increase in awareness regarding my career options.”
- “Being in the vibrant setting of the Niconico Chokaigi made understanding the topics enjoyable and rewarding.”
- “Experiencing information in a friendly atmosphere heightened my interest in the content and motivated me to learn more.”

About Bunkyo University

Bunkyo University is led by President Rie Miyata and embodies the spirit of ‘human love’ in its teachings. It is a comprehensive university comprising three campuses: Koshigaya Campus (Faculty of Education, Human Sciences, and Literature), Shonan Campus (Faculty of Information Sciences and Health Nutrition), and Adachi Campus in Tokyo (International and Business Administration faculties). For more information, visit Bunkyo University.