{"rewrite":{"id":"r_b92482165694ed0c31f07345","clusterId":"c_78e896324c13a14ac7786aae","slug":"cluster-launches-first-metaverse-contest-for-junior-high-and-high-school-students","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Cluster Launches First Metaverse Contest for Junior High and High School Students","summary":"Cluster Inc. announced its first metaverse contest exclusively for junior high and high school students, the 'cluster Innovation Cup for youth.' A pilot pre-contest is underway, with a national main tournament planned for fall 2026. The pilot theme is 'Update Your Hometown: The City I Would Create!' and an awards event will be held July 3, 2026, in a virtual venue within cluster.","whyItMatters":"The contest marks Cluster's first dedicated effort to channel its metaverse platform into formal education, building on over 100 classes using cluster implemented or scheduled in fiscal year 2026.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe pilot pre-contest, which ran an application period from April 20 to June 19, was designed as a practical learning opportunity where students use metaverse technology to address local issues and collaboratively create deliverables. The theme asked participants to reimagine their hometowns. An awards event will be held July 3, 2026, at a virtual venue within cluster. The main tournament is planned for around fall 2026 on a national scale. All participants in the pilot receive 5,000 cluster points.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCluster CEO Naoto Kato\u0026#39;s company operates the metaverse platform cluster, which celebrates its 11th anniversary on July 7, 2026. In fiscal year 2026 alone, over 100 classes using cluster have been implemented or scheduled, with support areas expanding to include DX High School support, NEXT High School, and support for non-attendance. The contest is positioned as the culmination of these efforts, providing a platform for students to express and disseminate local issues in virtual space.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Cluster's contest asks students to redesign their hometowns in VR. The pilot theme positions the metaverse as a civic tool, not a gaming space.","twitterPost":"Cluster's contest uses a hometown redesign theme, framing the metaverse as a civic platform for students.","threadsPost":"Cluster's first student metaverse contest runs on a hometown redesign prompt. The framing treats the metaverse as a civic planning tool rather than a game or social hangout, which is a deliberate positioning for an age group that will inherit both the physical and virtual public square.","newsletterBlurb":"Cluster Inc. announced its first metaverse contest for junior high and high school students, the 'cluster Innovation Cup for youth.' A pilot pre-contest is underway with a July 3 awards event, and a national main tournament is planned for fall 2026. The contest builds on over 100 classes using cluster implemented or scheduled in fiscal year 2026.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"PANORA\",\"url\":\"https://panora.tokyo/archives/147024\",\"title\":\"Cluster to Hold Metaverse Contest for Junior High and High School Students 'cluster Innovation Cup for youth'; National Tournament Planned for Fall\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4190,"outputTokens":644,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782614907,"createdAt":"2026-06-28T02:38:04.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-28T02:40:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-28T02:40:24.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_78e896324c13a14ac7786aae","canonicalTitle":"クラスターが、中学・高校生限定メタバースコンテスト「cluster Innovation Cup for youth」を開催　秋には全国大会も予定","representativeArticleId":"a_ddfb27814fdfc8ffa02e6d6a","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"加藤直人\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-26T03:18:12.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-26T03:18:12.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-28T02:40:25.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"PANORA","url":"https://panora.tokyo/archives/147024","title":"クラスターが、中学・高校生限定メタバースコンテスト「cluster Innovation Cup for youth」を開催　秋には全国大会も予定"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["加藤直人"],"type":"announcement","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Cluster Inc. announced its first metaverse contest for junior high and high school students, the 'cluster Innovation Cup for youth.'","A pilot pre-contest with the theme 'Update Your Hometown: The City I Would Create!' ran an application period from April 20 to June 19, 2026.","An awards event for the pilot will be held July 3, 2026, in a virtual venue within the cluster platform.","The main national tournament is planned for around fall 2026.","In fiscal year 2026, over 100 classes using cluster have been implemented or scheduled, with support for DX High School, NEXT High School, and non-attendance."]}