On Sunday, December 14, 2025, our students participated online in the 1st Cotech Classics x Manufacturing Contest.
This contest is part of the educational and research activities conducted by the KOSEN Classical Education Research Group to convey the appeal of classics and was held as a place for students to showcase their “Classics x Manufacturing” activities. Based on the learning and research of classical works, works (visual works using science and technology to visualize the world of classical literature) were solicited to convey the appeal and fun to the next generation, and 10 teams from 5 KOSENs, including Toyota KOSEN, Sasebo, Maizuru, Suzuka, and Tsuruoka, participated.
The following two teams from Toyota KOSEN participated and won special awards.
Expression Award
Team “Yoshida Studio” (YOSHIDA Mikoto, 2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering)
Work: “For You Who Understand” (A novel game-style video of the Noh play “Aoi no Ue” based on “The Tale of Genji”)
Craftsmanship Award
Team “KATANA” (HATTORI Shun, HIRANO Kanata, WATANABE Kazunobu, 2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering)
Work: “Demon Extermination Carved in Wood Grain” (Reproducing the famous sword “Dojigiri” that appears in “Shuten Doji” with wood)
~Comments from participating students~
HATTORI Shun, 2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Each group considered classical works from a different perspective, which was a good opportunity to give me a new perspective. I also learned that there are various forms of presentation, such as explaining the work in detail or explaining it logically with experiments and considerations instead of creating the actual thing.
HIRANO Kanata, 2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Since our KOSEN’s department is different from other KOSEN’s departments, it was interesting to see the differences in the students’ works for each KOSEN.
WATANABE Kazunobu, 2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering
From the works and presentations of students from other KOSENs, I was able to learn about manufacturing ingenuity and ideas that I would not have been able to come up with on my own. This time it was held online, but I felt that even more new ideas would have been born if there were more opportunities to freely exchange opinions and discuss face-to-face. However, it was a very fulfilling time. I would like to make use of the valuable experiences and learning gained through this presentation in future manufacturing and presentation opportunities.
YOSHIDA Mikoto, 2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering
I wasn’t familiar with classical works until now, and I was worried about whether I could successfully interpret them and incorporate them into manufacturing. However, when I actually read it, it was very interesting, and ideas came to me immediately. And through this contest, I was able to come into contact with the ideas and interpretations of people from other KOSENs, and it was a lot of fun.
[Participating students and the reproduced famous sword “Dojigiri”]
[Exchange meeting after the presentation ①]
[Exchange meeting after the presentation ②]