The Kuma Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, is dedicated to fostering the next generation of creators under its vision of "A World Where Creativity Resonates." Since its establishment in 2016, the foundation has supported young creators aged 25 and under through its "Creator Scholarship" program.

To date, the Creator Scholarship program has supported a total of 433 individuals across 29 diverse fields, including fine arts, contemporary art, technology, music, and architecture.

For the 10th cohort in fiscal year 2026, 50 student creators have been selected from a pool of 1,473 applicants working in various genres. These recipients study at diverse educational institutions worldwide, including Tokyo University of the Arts and other art and design universities, as well as the University of Tokyo, Keio University, Kyushu University, and overseas universities. They have now commenced their activities.

The scholarship provides an annual stipend of 1.2 million yen and includes an annual curriculum featuring events such as camps designed to foster connections among creators of the same generation. In March 2027, an exhibition will be held to showcase their achievements, aiming to nurture emerging creators and connect their boundless potential with society.

Kuma Foundation Website

Main Support for the 50 10th Cohort Creators:

[1] Annual Scholarship of 1.2 Million Yen, No Repayment Required

The "Creator Scholarship" does not require repayment, nor are there any restrictions or reporting obligations on its use. By allowing creators to use the funds for purchasing art supplies, holding exhibitions, covering rent, or living expenses without limitations, the foundation provides an environment where creators can concentrate more fully on their work.

[2] Annual Curriculum to Foster Interaction Among Creators

In addition to scholarship payments, the foundation organizes a kickoff event and a camp called "KUMA CAMP" to facilitate face-to-face meetings among scholarship recipients. By encouraging interaction with creators of the same generation across different genres, the program aims to foster a community of peers for mutual growth and to inspire new ideas through diverse creative endeavors.

[3] Exhibition Featuring Works by 50 Creators

In March 2027, an exhibition will be held as a platform for presenting the creative activities undertaken over the past year. The exhibition will showcase works in various formats, including art displays, film screenings, performances, and concerts. This stimulating space, where different genres intersect, will serve as a venue to connect the potential of young talent with society.

Learn more about the "Creator Scholarship"

List of 10th Cohort "Creator Scholarship" Recipients - Kuma Foundation

Creator Name

English Name

Genre

1

RAY ARIYOSHI

RAY ARIYOSHI

Stage Arts / Poetry / Drama / Performing Arts

2

IBUKI INOUE

IBUKI INOUE

Painting

3

SHUNYA IMAMURA

SHUNYA IMAMURA

Performance Art / Sculpture

4

LEO UEDA

LEO UEDA

Technology

5

ARUKI UETABIRA

ARUKI UETABIRA

Performance Art / Ritual

6

MAMORU OTA

MAMORU OTA

AI

7

MAI OHIRA

MAI OHIRA

Media Art

8

RYUSEI OKADA

RYUSEI OKADA

Painting / Sculpture / Photography

9

DAICHI OKU

DAICHI OKU

Film / Sci-Fi / Popular Cinema

10

SAKINE OBATA

SAKINE OBATA

Crafts

11

RYOTA KAJIWARA

RYOTA KAJIWARA

Graphics

12

MINA KATO

MINA KATO

Fashion / Inclusive Design

13

HARUTO KAMIJO

HARUTO KAMIJO

Architecture / Computational Fabrication

14

KEITA KAWAHARA

KEITA KAWAHARA

Manga / Installation

15

KOHTA KAWABE

KOHTA KAWABE

Novel / Body Expression

16

TOMOKI KAWAMURA

TOMOKI KAWAMURA

Stage Arts / Conversational Drama / Performance

17

TAKUMI KUROSAWA

TAKUMI KUROSAWA

Painting / Installation

18

Koki Sakakihara

Koki Sakakihara

Music / Stage Arts

19

KOHEI KOBAYASHI

KOHEI KOBAYASHI

Video

20

NANARY SAKAMOTO

NANARY SAKAMOTO

Painting

21

NOBUAKI SATOH

NOBUAKI SATOH

Music

22

HINA SHIBATA

HINA SHIBATA

Film

23

HIBIKI SHIMADA

HIBIKI SHIMADA

Fashion

24

KOTARO SUZUKI

KOTARO SUZUKI

Crafts / Metalwork

25

FOOYA SEKI

FOOYA SEKI

Sculpture

26

HIKARU TAKAYAMA

HIKARU TAKAYAMA

Sculpture / Installation

27

YOSHINO TAKAYAMA

YOSHINO TAKAYAMA

Sculpture / Kinetic Art / Design

28

DANNY JIN

DANNY JIN

Music / Rapper

29

Tiroru

Tiroru

Music

30

AINA TSUTSUMI

AINA TSUTSUMI

Installation

31

RISA NAGATA

RISA NAGATA

Fashion / Technology

32

RIO NAKADA

RIO NAKADA

Media Art / Interactive Art

33

WATARU NAKAYAMA

WATARU NAKAYAMA

Architecture / Rakugo / Digital Fabrication

34

HARUKA NUITANI

HARUKA NUITANI

Crafts / Textile Design

35

MANA HASHIMOTO

MANA HASHIMOTO

Performance Art

36

HALU SUGIMOTO

HALU SUGIMOTO

Installation

37

FUSHI SANO

FUSHI SANO

Music / Sound Art / Technology

38

YUKIKO FURUYA

YUKIKO FURUYA

Science / Cognitive Science / Informatics / Design

39

Mike Sekine

Mike Sekine

Media Art / Sound Art / Media Design

40

DAICHI MATSUMURA

DAICHI MATSUMURA

Installation / Curation / Contemporary Art

41

ANNA MATSUMOTO

ANNA MATSUMOTO

Technology / HCI / Digital Fabrication

42

HARUTO MIKAJIRI

HARUTO MIKAJIRI

Painting / Mural

43

RIRU MIZUGUCHI

RIRU MIZUGUCHI

Installation / Performance

44

KAZUSA MOROE

KAZUSA MOROE

Architecture

45

OSUKE YANO

OSUKE YANO

Installation

46

YUSAKU Hirai

YUSAKU Hirai

Architecture / Drawing / Graphic Design

47

SOTARO YOKOI

SOTARO YOKOI

Technology / Human-Computer Interaction

48

KEIGO YOSHIDA

KEIGO YOSHIDA

Media Art

49

RIKU MATSUSHIMA

RIKU MATSUSHIMA

Music / Video / Beatboxing

50

AIKA RAYMOND

AIKA RAYMOND

Crafts / Glass

*Listed in Japanese alphabetical order.

Detailed profile information here

About the Genres of Selected Creators

Kuma Foundation

Established in 2016 by Kosuke Baba, founder of COLOPL Inc., the Kuma Foundation aims to support and provide grants to young creators who will lead the next generation. Its core activity is the "Creator Scholarship Program" for student creators aged 25 and under, supplemented by opportunities for learning and networking, as well as exhibition spaces for presenting their work.

Web | https://kuma-foundation.org/

Address | THE MODULE roppongi 203, 7-21-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032

Mail | contact@kuma-foundation.org Tel | 03-6721-7798

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 教育