What’s Your Water Story?

Animate your ideas of your Creative Journey in a Global Community!

Free 6-day Animated Learning online workshop for high school students in Japan and Japanese language learners

• Intensive work on Nov. 30 (Sun), Dec. 21 (Sun), Dec. 28 (Sun), Jan. 4 (Sun), Jan 11 (Sun), Jan 18 (Sun)
• In between the intensive work days, there will be online group work and individual work at home.

What you can do in this workshop

• ●Study deeply the various aspects and issues surrounding ‘water’, which supports the Earth and our lives.
  • Teens from Japan and overseas gather to think about ‘water’.
  • You and your peers, college-student leaders discuss the topic ‘water’ in group
  • You will learn from multiple experts in anime, videos, manga and water.
• ●Express your ideas through anime/animation.
  • This unique workshop combines learning + art (animation) + ICT.
  • The activity language is ‘easy Japanese’ and various visual languages, as well as the ways of expression you are good at.
• ●Creative multicultural exchange.
  • Learn about diverse cultures and ideas to broaden your worldview.
  • To facilitate communication and understanding, you can use English or your native language with AI translation tools.

• Let’s learn and discuss the topic ” water ” together with the workshop members who study its scientific and social aspects of water, who have artistic talent, and who live in different regions!
• Share your ideas and suggestions through animation and connect with the world!!

• • • Make friends with native Japanese speakers…
    • Climate change and water, I want to express my ideas in animation…
    • I want to learn about what is happening on the earth…
    • I want to make art about “water”…
    • I want to challenge 日本語 and making-animation…
      • What would you like to do with us?

• Even if you are not good at drawing…
  • Animation can be created in many ways, such as stop-motion animation using various objects or animation production apps.
  • As this is group work, you can take on roles such as scriptwriting, sound design, directing, editing and post-production, or contribute to areas in which you have expertise, such as researching water.
  • Before creating the animation, the group will have discussions which must be recorded. You can contribute to the discussion as a leader or as a note-taker.
  • If you are interested in researching the scientific and social aspects of water, why not try using animation in your presentations to attract more attention?
  • You might even meet someone at this workshop who can help.

• Workshop 2025 website in Japanese＞＞

Past participants’ reviews

☆ He spoke to me in Japanese, which I’m not used to, and I thought the expressions he would use at times were beautiful.
☆ It was good to get to know people from different prefectures.
☆ It was my first experience of working together across borders to create something, and I found it interesting and I learned a lot.
☆ Everyone did what they could and worked hard, finding time for themselves.
☆ The team discussion was great fun.
☆ I will treasure this animation.

☆ It was fun talking about water in each region.
☆ My thoughts about water have changed and deepened.
☆ I want to take action to solve the water problem.

• Implementation Report: “Workshop for High School Students and Japanese Language Learners 2024” >>

• The Animated Learning Workshop for High School Students and Japanese Language Learners began in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• So far, it has attracted over 70 high school students and Japanese language learners from 5 countries, as well as university student leaders from Musashino Art University and other institutions. Together, they have created and presented message animations on the theme of ‘water’.
• This year marks the event’s 5th anniversary, and we plan to increase participation and develop new activities.>>

Dates/Participation/Eligibility/Organizer

• Dates (Intensive work days)：
  • 1st Day：November 30 (Sun)
  • 2nd Day：December 21 (Sun)
  • 3rd Day：December 28 (Sun)
  • 4th Day：January 4 (Sun)
  • 5th Day：January 11 (Sun)
  • 6th Day：January 18 (Sun)【Internal presentation】

• Time：
  • ５PM～（JST/UTC +9、6 AM UTC）
  • A two-and-a-half-hour intensive work day.

• Additional Activities for Further Achievement (voluntary participation) :
  • From this year onwards, we will expand our activities by engaging with people who are unable to attend the workshop due to time differences or scheduling conflicts.
  • New activities:
    • ●Presentation open to everyone (みんなの発表会):
      • Teenagers can present message animations about water. Applications are open to all (selection will be required).
      • The online show will be open to the public in March 2014.
    • ●Online interaction with teenagers living in different places and/or external experts.
  • Participants in our workshop will be expected to improve the quality of their messages and animations, and also try to share them.

• Participation Free
  • You should get ready (1) mobile phone/tablet/computer with camera, (2) internet connection, (3) tools and materials for making animation/video.
• 40 participants max：Selection will be based on documents (application form) and interview.
  • Group participation is also possible (around 4 participants per group).
  • Individual participation will be in mixed group（Japanese native speakers and Japanese language learners).

• Eligible applicant：
  • ・High school student or people aged between 15 and 18 living in Japan (regardless of nationality or origin)
  • ・Japanese language learner living outside Japan (aged between 15 and 20) International students in Japan can be applied.
  • If anyone else would like to participate, email ALLjp>>

• Japanese language ability：
  • Japanese language learners must be able to communicate in Japanese (a guideline is conversational ability equivalent to JLPTN3 or higher on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
  • If you are not sure whether you are eligible, email ALLjp>>

• Application :
  • Application open on September 5th and close on October 31st.
  • Please apply early, as we may reach capacity before the closing date.
  • After submitting your application, we will email you within 10 days to arrange a remote interview via Zoom.
    • Application form＞＞

• Organizer：一般社団法人 アニメーテッドラーニングらぼ(Animated Learning Lab in Japan/ALLjp)
• Supported by：2025 Kodomo Yume Fund, Children’s Experience Activities (National Institution for Youth Education) 令和7年度子どもゆめ基金　子ども体験活動「アニメで、アイデアを伝える－高校生と日本語学習者のアニメーテッドラーニング 2025」(独立行政法人 国立青少年教育振興機構)
• Cooperation with：
  • ・アニメーテッドラーニングにわくわくしている日本語教師グループ(「AWN」)
  • ・武蔵野美術大学　旅するムサビプロジェクト (Musashino Art University)
  • ・八千代エンジニヤリング株式会社 (Yachiyo Engineering)

• • What you will do
  • Goals and deliverables
  • What you should prepare
  • Experts who support your activity
  • College-student leaders who work with you and support you
  • Regarding photography, use of photographs, videos, etc.
  • Inquiry
  • Application form

What you will do

After applying	・Online interview with ALLjp (organizer) – 30 – 60 minutes on Zoom. 　　ALLjp We will ask you about your strengths, what you want to learn, and what you want to convey through animation. 　　ALLjp will then explain the contents and procedure of this workshop.
	・Create a ‘One-pager‘. 　　Summarize your answers to two questions about “water” on one page. 　　This will be presented on November 30th, the first day of the workshop. 　　★One-pagers of the workshop 2034＞＞ ・Create your self-introduction video. 　　This will be presented on November 30th.
Nov. 30 Day 1	・Orientation: Details on how the workshop will proceed and the goals to be achieved. ・Self-introductions. ・Group work (getting to know your peers): 　　Presentation of one-pagers and self-introduction videos. 　　Free discussion of interests, etc.
Dec. 21 Day 2	・Lecture: Discover the many facets of water. ・Lecture: Explore the potential of one-minute film, the variety of visual expressions. ・Group work: Discussion of what you want to achieve. 　　What each participant is interested in. 　　Instructors’ advices. 　　Create an ‘idea notebook’ in the group.
Dec. 28 Day 3	・Interim presentation: groups’ ‘idea notes’, the instructors’ advices. ・Group work: Structuring your message. ・Lecture: Expression. 　　Highlighting what you want to communicate mainly in anime. 　　Dividing into scenes and identifying scenes that will not be animated. ・Group work: Designing a message animation. 　　Assigning responsibilities and tasks. 　　Setting goals and a schedule.
Jan. 4 Day 4	・Group work: Design a message animation. 　　Decide on the plot and storyline. 　　Plan the scenes. 　　Create a storyboard. ・Interim presentation: Scene plans and instructor’s comments, followed by comments from the instructors. ・Group work: Improve the plan.
<Group work>	・Work in groups to create a script and design proposal.
Jan. 11 Day 5	・Group work: Creation of message animation. 　　Scriptwriting. 　　Design (characters, backgrounds, etc.). 　　Object creation. 　　Filming.
<Group work>	・Creating a message animation: 　　Filming. 　　Editing. 　　Sound design and recording. ・Preparing for the presentation: 　　Assigning presenters. 　　Creating slides and supplementary materials. 　　Deciding on the presentation schedule.
Jan. 18 Day 6 Internal Presentation	・Group presentation of the animation and message. ・Reflection and instructors’ comments. ・Group work: Improve and spread the message animation. 　　Refine the animation and discuss how to convey the message. 　　Discuss how to spread the message.
<Additional Activities> (voluntary participation)	・Online exchange with external young people and experts
March 2026	Expanded presentation (open to the public) みんなの合同発表会 ・Final presentation of the groups’ animations and messages. ・Presentation of external teenagers’ message animations. ・Reflection.

• You will do individual and group work in-between intensive work days to complete your group message animation.
• Activities are subject to be changed.

• Online group communication
  • Participants can introduce themselves, prepare and review, upload your creations (animations and worksheets), and interact with the group.
  • Your instructors will be available to answer questions and provide advice while you are working in groups between workdays.
  • * We use a team communication app.

Goals and deliverables that will be created in groups

• Complete the message animation under the following conditions: present it internally on 18 January 2026 and publicly in March..
  • (1) Express the “things you want to convey” (ideas, messages) through anime/animation.
  • (2) The anime will be in Japanese. Various other expressions, such as anime, onomatopoeia, manga symbols and pictograms, will also be used.
  • (3) Theme: Water (flood control, water use, environment, and other social issues).
    • ・ Watch the water around us, learn about the water on/under the ground.
    • ・ Try digging down related issues caused by the water. We welcome your proposals for solving these issues.

• The deliverables and message animations created in your group will be posted on the Animated Learning Lab website, “Everyone’s Ideas, Everyone’s Animation,” and other places.
  • アニメーテッドラーニングらぼのウェブサイト「みんなのアイデア、みんなのアニメ」
  • ・Group discussion memo and Idea Note worksheet
  • ・4-frame plot (simplified storyboard), characters design and background design
  • ・Storyboard
  • ・One-pager presentation slide created individually

• Let’s think of different ways to disseminate your message animation and put them into practice!

What you should prepare

• Materials 　
  • ●Mobile phone/tablet/computer with camera (one or more)
  • ●Internet connection
  • ●Tools and materials necessary for making animation/video footage
  • ●Download worksheet and learning tools from the ALLjp site
• Apps　Before starting the workshop, download and install
  • ●Zoom
  • ●Slack
  • ●Stop Motion Studio (stop-motion application app)
    • AppStore＞＞
    • Google Play＞＞

Experts who support your activity

College-student leaders who work with you and support you

• College-student leaders will support group work between high school students and Japanese language learners (the participants).
• The appeal of this workshop is that the participants and the college-student leaders can learn from each other, draw inspiration from water and create animations with global messages.

• Musashino Art University students have supported this workshop since 2011.
• Additionally, former participants have returned to the workshop as leaders.

• If you are not sure whether you are eligible, email ALLjp>>

Regarding photography, use of photographs, videos, etc.

1. ALLjp (the organizer) will take photographs and record the activities using a web conferencing service application for publicity purposes. The above photos and videos, as well as deliverables (animations and worksheets) created by the participants and their names (initials or nicknames), may be published in reports and publications, on the Internet (including social media services), and at events and conferences hosted by ALLjp.
2. The Children’s Yume Fund subsidizes this workshop, and ALLjp is required to submit photographs showing the activity. Personal information (photos, etc.) submitted for reporting to the Children’s Yume Fund will not be used for any purpose other than Children’s Yume Fund subsidized activities, in accordance with the “Rules for the Appropriate Management of Personal Information Held by the National Institution for Youth Education”.

Inquiry

• For inquiries, please send an e-mail to Attn: Hitosan (Hiromi ITO).
• The e-mail title should be “High School Students and Japanese Language Learners Workshop 2025”
• Questions should be in Japanese or English.
  • info@alljp.org

Application Form

• Registration will close as soon as capacity is reached.

• 参加申込フォーム(Google Form)　日本語学習者(日本か外国で日本語を勉強している中学生から大学生／22歳くらいまでのひと、留学生)＞＞https://forms.gle/D2Jtq6QrzzGvWgC67

• English translation of application form(PDF)＞＞

• English Application Form (Google Form)＞＞https://forms.gle/h5Mck5ZRLriKYTWbA

• This workshop is subject to change without notice.

令和7年度子どもゆめ基金　子ども体験活動「アニメで、アイデアを伝える－高校生と日本語学習者のアニメーテッドラーニング 2025」(独立行政法人 国立青少年教育振興機構)

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This workshop is planned and managed by ALLjp (Animate Learning Lab in Japan) for the purpose of promoting the spread of Animated Learning in Japan. This page may be copied or reprinted without our permission for the purpose of promoting the spread of Animated Learning and its practice. When doing so, please clearly state the source (such as the URL of this site) and the following copyright.

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