8th Minecraft Cup Opens! Theme: 'How to Live in a Society with Changing Population and Age Balances?' – Children Junior High School and Below to Consider Population Issues and Town Planning with Minecraft. Application Deadline: September 7th.

The Minecraft Cup Operations Secretariat (NPO Digital Craftsmanship Council) is dedicated to delivering programming education and digital craftsmanship experiences to all children with the concept of 'a place where everyone can challenge their potential.' We are pleased to announce the "8th Minecraft Cup," a project contest using "Minecraft Education."

For the 2026 fiscal year, under the theme "Everyone Shines! The Future Town of Generation β ~How to Live in a Society with Changing Population and Age Balances?~," we will be accepting applications for projects in 24 regional blocks nationwide (23 domestic + 1 overseas). This year, we have abolished divisions, and individuals can apply. The application deadline for projects is September 7th, 17:00. Following preliminary screening, regional competitions, and area evaluations, the national finals and awards ceremony will be held on February 14, 2027, at 'The University of Tokyo.'

## What is the Minecraft Cup?
The Minecraft Cup is a digital craftsmanship competition where children in junior high school and below create projects aligned with the competition theme using 'Minecraft Education.' Since its inception in 2019, 21,577 people have entered, with a total of 3,603 project submissions.

With the concept of 'a place where everyone can challenge their potential,' we aim to create opportunities for children's curiosity and creativity to flourish through active experiences of researching, thinking, creating, and expressing. Participants, based on the competition theme, freely express their vision of 'a world they want to create!' in the Minecraft world, focusing on their local communities and society. The submitted projects will go through preliminary screening, regional competitions, area evaluations, and national finals for each of the 24 regional blocks (domestic and overseas), allowing the ideas and worlds within the projects to be shared with many people.

## About the 8th Competition Theme
Competition Theme
**"Everyone Shines! The Future Town of Generation β ~How to Live in a Society with Changing Population and Age Balances?~"**

What do you imagine your town will look like in 10 or 20 years?

Around the world, some countries are seeing their populations grow, while others, like Japan, are experiencing decline. Some countries have a large young population, while others are facing advanced aging. Technology, environment, community, work, lifestyle, human connections. In an era where current norms are changing, where you focus and what you value is up to you.

What kind of town would allow for a secure life?
What kind of systems can we devise to overcome social challenges?
Design your envisioned future town in the world of Minecraft.

## New Elements for the 8th Competition
### Accepting Projects and Holding Regional Competitions in 24 Blocks Nationwide
In the 8th competition, 10 prefectures will newly become independent blocks, and we will accept project submissions in 24 regional blocks (23 domestic + 1 overseas). Emphasizing providing opportunities for all children to challenge themselves, regardless of region or economic situation, we will hold regional competitions at 23 locations nationwide (overseas blocks will be held online).

### Supporting First-Time Entrants! Minecraft Cup Participation Support Pack
To encourage those who think, 'I want to participate, but I don't know where to start,' we are offering the 'Minecraft Cup Participation Support Pack,' which includes a 3-part online starter course plus an educational edition Minecraft license.

The online courses will be held in April, June, and August, covering an introduction to the competition for Minecraft beginners, an overview of Minecraft Education's features, and explanations of the required submission materials. The support pack aims to lower environmental barriers for participation, even for those who find it difficult to prepare an educational edition Minecraft license.

After registering as a member of the Minecraft Cup, you can purchase it from your My Page.

### Applications Now Possible for Individuals
For the 8th competition, we have abolished 'divisions' and now allow participation by individuals. Judging will be done by 'formation,' with participants categorized into one of the formations based on the grade of the oldest member in the team.

Formation | Target | Number of Participants
------- | -------- | --------
Elementary School Formation | Elementary school students and younger (including preschoolers), with the oldest being 12 years old or younger | 1-40 people
Junior High/High School Formation | Junior high and high school students, with the oldest being 19 years old or younger | 1-40 people

*Formations are based on age as of April 1, 2027.

## Competition Schedule
Date | Content
------- | --------
April 1 | Competition Entry Starts / Theme Announcement
June 1 | Project Submission Reception Starts
September 7, 17:00 | Project Submission Deadline
September 12-13 | Preliminary Screening
September 18, 19:00 | Preliminary Screening Results Announcement (Announcement of Regional Competition Qualifiers)
October 17 - November 29 | Regional Competitions (24 Blocks Nationwide)
Early December | Area Evaluation
December 10, 19:00 | Finalist Announcement (Announcement of National Competition Qualifiers)
February 14, 2027 | National Competition & Awards Ceremony