Thursday, August 8th, 2019
Science and Technology

MEXT annually makes a public offering for the cover page of its White Paper on Science and Technology. The theme for this year’s cover was “The Future Society in 2050”. MEXT received 821 applications in total of which 644 were submitted by elementary and junior high school students and 177 by applicants in junior high school and or older. The Grand Prize was awarded to Mani Kimura, a then second grade elementary school student from Heguri Municipal Heguri-Minami Elementary School in Nara Prefecture. Kimura received a certificate of merit, a plaque, and a clock with her artwork printed on the clock face.

In the middle of the artwork is an illustration of a special pudding. The colorful and cheerful picture shows people across the world being able to communicate after eating the pudding.

Minister Shibayama asked why she decided to draw a pudding. Kimura responded she and her mother first drew the pudding which they both love and then surrounded it with other things she loves.

The minister then told Kimura who is now a third grader, that people’s thoughts and drawings continue to change. He said as each drawing is unique to the moment, he asked Kimura to continue her artwork by valuing each thought at every moment.

Link to FY2019 White Paper on Science and Technology