TechTrain Sponsors 'Easter Egg Hackathon 2026', a Joint Student Hackathon at Ritsumeikan University

TechTrain (TechBowl Inc.; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Ozawa; hereinafter "TechTrain"), which operates under the mission "To be the terminal for everyone supporting technology," sponsored the student hackathon "Easter Egg Hackathon 2026 (EEH2026)" held at Ritsumeikan University's Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC) from March 20 (Fri) to 21 (Sat), 2026. In addition to supporting event operations by providing food and drinks for the networking session, TechTrain presented the "TechTrain Award" to the most impressive project.

Background of Sponsorship

TechTrain aims to expand opportunities for students to learn and practice "engineering" through hands-on experience. The Easter Egg Hackathon 2026 is a unique event based on the concept, "Building to specifications is a given. How do you hide surprise and playfulness within it?" Participants compete to implement unexpected hidden features (Easter eggs) into their products.
This concept, which focuses not only on technical skills but also on creating products with the user in mind, aligns with the value TechTrain places on "delivering value through engineering." Furthermore, the event's inclusivity—welcoming beginners and providing mentorship—resonated with TechTrain's desire to support the challenges of the next generation of engineers, leading to this sponsorship.

Event Overview

• Event Name: Easter Egg Hackathon 2026 (EEH2026)
• Concept: "Building to specifications is a given. How do you hide surprise and playfulness within it?" Participants first complete a product according to specifications, then implement hidden features that no one would expect. The "surprise" felt by users when they accidentally discover these features is the goal of this hackathon.
• Organizer: Easter Egg Hackathon Committee (Student volunteers from Ritsumeikan University RiST, Osaka Metropolitan University random, Momoyama Gakuin University Momoyama Tech Club, Kyoto Sangyo University Amatech, and Horizon)
• Participants: University students from the above organizations and other universities in the Kansai region.
• Event URL: https://kyarasu0.github.io/EasterEggHackathon/

TechTrain Award Winning Project

Winning Team: Kuchipatchi

Project Name: ~Gakuchika Tamago Growth App~ "Gakutama"
Project Overview:

A life-log app where a virtual egg grows and branches based on how you approach your "Gakuchika" (student activities). Developed to improve university life satisfaction and motivation. It features a playful UX, including four growth patterns linked to life logs, a history view with a calendar, and interactions such as tapping the egg or bird, along with particle effects during evolution.

https://github.com/mayo135/EggHackathon

Organizer Representative Comment

Easter Egg Hackathon Committee Representative, Mitsuki Kawano (Ritsumeikan University)

"One thing I realized while running this 'Easter Egg Hackathon' on the day of the event was that we took more time for booth exhibitions than planned. Because of the design of this hackathon, we intentionally didn't have teams explain their 'Easter Eggs' in detail during their presentations, but instead had them let people discover the hidden features while experiencing the works at the booths. As a result, a cycle of 'searching, finding, and understanding' was born, which I feel was a unique experience specific to this hackathon."

TechBowl Inc. will continue to support the growth of students aiming to become engineers and the development of talent capable of delivering value through products. TechTrain brings together mentors with advanced technical skills and practical experience, along with a community of highly motivated students, creating an environment for practical learning. We will continue to contribute to the creation of the next generation of leaders—engineers who can create products that make users smile, not just function according to specs—starting from the connections and learning born through this event.