What’s Mitou Junior?
Mitou Junior is a half-year-long program to enhance young innovative creators in Japan. This program, initiated by the Mitou Foundation in 2016 and originating from the government-backed MITOU Program, has received support from various companies and organizations since its inception. With that support we offer the following benefits.
Mentoring
Creators will be able to learn from mentors and other MITOU Program graduates, like professors and tech founders, who are at the forefront of technology.
Financial Support
Each group will be eligible to receive up to 500K Yen as funding for development.
Place to develop
If necessary, places to develop will be provided. And transportation and accommodation expenses for participating in events like Maker Faire Tokyo will also be covered.
Award outstanding performance
Creators who have shown their outstanding performance during Mitou Junior program get an outstanding performance award. The award is highly recognized for Admissions Office of several universities, including Keio University SFC, Kindai University and Tokyo Metropolitan University.
Media & Awards
Our alumni are creating new values after the program as well. Here are a few examples.
- CES 2023 INNOVATION AWARD PRODUCT - Contact Glove By Diver-X - CES 2023
- TEDxAnjo Speakers - Akari Kawaguchi - TEDxAnjo
- J-MEDIA ARTS 25th Entertainment Division U-18 Award - VR Sandbox - J-MEDIA ARTS
- CBS News Teen's tracking app takes a different approach to the coronavirus challenge - CBS News
- KitPloit DetExploit - Software That Detect Vulnerable Applications - KitPloit
- SXSW EDU Toubans! pitch at SXSW 2019 (YouTube) - SXSW EDU
Projects Showcase
Up to now 743 applications are submitted to our Mitou Junior program, and we support 94 projects and 116 creators. (Acceptance rate: 10-13%)
Example projects, accepted and boosted by our program, are as follows.
Program Agenda
- Target: Individuals and groups (up to 4 members) who are 17 years old or younger as of April 1st.
- Due Date: The application form typically opens on March 10th and closes in early April.
- Duration: About 6 months support from June to November, including Demo Day at the end.
- Fee: Free
- Transportation and accommodation costs for events such as the kickoff camp and demo day will also be covered.
Supervisor
Ikuo Takeuchi
Professor Emeritus at The University of Tokyo, Director of MITOU Programs, and Director of Mitou Foundation
Biography
He was born in Toyama in 1946. After he joined NTT Research in 1971, he worked on Lisp and the development of its processing system. Inventor of the TAK Function. After he left the company, he was a professor at The University of Electro-Communications, The University of Tokyo, and Waseda University.
Message
Since the launch of The MITOU Programs in 2000, we have increasingly focused on younger creators. Information Technology (IT) is not just for adults; I believe it's essential to discover and nurture an understanding of IT from a very young age. The Mitou Junior program is designed to facilitate it by providing an environment where young people can do more than just 'learn.' They can develop and enhance their skills, growing into talented IT professionals. This program is an opportunity for them to spread their wings and realize their full potential.
Watch message on YouTube (in Japanese)Organizer
The Mitou Foundation focuses on fostering IT innovation by building a network of creative talents, particularly those who have completed the MITOU Program. This organization was established in 2014 to address the growing need for innovative talents capable of transforming various industries and societal structures in the 21st century. It is a non-profit general incorporated association, a legal entity in Japanese law.
Sponsors & Supporters
Mitou Junior program has 10+ financial and in-kind sponsors. Also we have 10+ supporters, including MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).