NPO Ubdobe Releases Board Game Combining Idol Fandom Culture with Disability Welfare Learning

NPO Ubdobe, based in Setagaya, Tokyo and represented by Yuki Oka, has released the board game “I Have Been Appointed Producer of an Ultra-Unique Idol Unit” (commonly known as “Kono Pro”). The product is designed to create opportunities to experience the essence of disability welfare work. By incorporating entertainment and gamification, it aims to broaden interest in disability welfare through a “learn while playing” experience. When young people begin thinking about future paths and careers, it is important not only to acquire knowledge but also to form views on work and life, such as how they want to live and what values they want to bring to their work. However, disability welfare jobs are often preceded by surface-level impressions such as “it looks difficult” or “it seems highly specialized,” making it hard to communicate their concrete appeal and sense of purpose. As a result, they are often less likely to be considered as career options. This product therefore designs disability welfare not as something to be merely understood, but as something to be experienced, naturally stimulating interest through play and creating an entry point into the field. The game combines the widely familiar themes of “oshi-katsu” fan culture and idol culture with the perspective of disability welfare. Players become producers at a talent agency, engaging with each highly individual idol trainee, understanding them, building trust, and overcoming challenges together. Through this process, players can experientially learn core values connected to disability welfare practice, such as considering how to interact according to each person’s traits and adopting a perspective that supports growth. In the story, the player is a producer at a talent agency. The agency’s ambition is to create a “new era of entertainment” where people can pursue their individuality and dreams regardless of their physical condition or mental barriers. To help the idol trainees achieve their dreams, players make use of each trainee’s appeal, support them through lessons and personal challenges, and help them climb the path to stardom. Game overview: the product name is “I Have Been Appointed Producer of an Ultra-Unique Idol Unit.” It is played in teams of three to four people, uses a sugoroku-style board format that anyone can join intuitively, and takes about 30 minutes to play. The idol trainees appearing in the game are designed as characters with traits and backgrounds related to disabilities. The game was created with an emphasis on realism from the field, based on interviews with professionals. In 2026, Suita City used this board game as part of its “FY2025 Project to Communicate the Appeal of Work in the Disability Welfare Field.” It was implemented at three locations in the city, including prefectural high schools and youth facilities, with a total of 45 participants. Pre- and post-event surveys showed that the share of respondents who said they were interested in disability welfare work, combining “very interested” and “interested,” rose from 14.3% to 36.8%, an increase of 22.5 percentage points. The results confirmed that even a short experience can increase interest in disability welfare. Participants said they learned that even casual ideas can help people with disabilities. Some said they had previously known little about disability welfare and did not expect to be involved with it, but through the board game they felt it became more familiar and realized there are many things they themselves can do. Others said they learned about various disabilities through the game and felt that combining board games with disability welfare was a very good idea that could help more people learn about the field, especially when teaching children. Participants also described the game as very fun and educational, and some said they wanted to become someone whom people with various symptoms could rely on when they face difficulties. Materials request: https://share.hsforms.com/1urs7WqY7R1eK79OhgcL6Xgqzi80 Inquiries: https://share.hsforms.com/1wtlNM7BrTomHtHsfvaIIoQqzi80 NPO Ubdobe is a creative company focused on solving social issues by creating content that combines medical and welfare expertise with the lived perspectives of people with intractable diseases and disabilities, aiming to realize active social participation for all people. Its activities span a wide range of fields, including planning club events and puzzle-solving events themed around illness and disability, operating a domestic study program involving internships at welfare facilities, and running service offices for severe home-visit care, in-home care, and mobility support. Ubdobe also works with local governments, companies, and organizations across Japan on projects aimed at raising awareness of medical and welfare information and recruiting talent.