Winners Selected for FY2025 Wall Newspaper Contest on Our Daily Lives and Energy

1．Overview of the contest

ANRE annually holds a Wall Newspaper Contest on the theme of “Our Daily Lives and Energy” targeting fourth to sixth grade elementary school children. The aim is to foster their interest and sense of commitment regarding energy issues and motivate them to take practical actions in their schools, homes, and communities. ANRE has determined the winners for the FY2025 contest and will hold a commendation ceremony to honor them on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. This is the eleventh such contest.

2．Results of the contest

In the FY2025 contest, ANRE received 743 newspapers from 1,161 school children. As a result of the final examination following the primary and secondary screenings, it selected two newspapers for the Grand Awards (METI Minister’s Awards), seven for the Special Awards, 11 for the Excellent Awards, 20 for the Merit Awards, and six for the School Awards as winners.

The following two newspapers were selected as the winners of the Grand Awards (METI Minister’s Awards) in recognition of their rigorous research, well-structured arguments, and clear, accessible writing.

Winners of the Grand Awards (METI Minister’s Awards)

Ms. Yume Okada, Ms. Narumi Takasaki, Mr. Haru Nasuno
Fifth graders, Sapporo Shinkotonikita Elementary School

Title: New Era Biomass Newspaper

Evaluation comments from the Chair of the Examination Committee

This was a joint project by three fifth graders who, unable to concentrate in class because of the severe summer heat, turned their attention to global warming. They all became acutely aware of the need for measures to reduce CO2 emissions, the cause of global warming.

Focusing on biomass power generation as a way to reduce CO2 emissions, they visited two biomass power plants in Hokkaido, where they live, and conducted interviews. They summarized the outcome in a wall newspaper, with each student sharing their views on how they could contribute. The work was grounded in solid research, and the page layout and wording were creative, which were also highly rated.

Mr. Kota Nishimura, Mr. Gennosuke Horiuchi
Sixth graders, Sapporo Soen Elementary School

Title: Hydrogen-Based Energy Vision Newspaper

Evaluation comments from the Chair of the Examination Committee

Jointly created by two sixth graders, the wall newspaper focuses on hydrogen as a natural energy source for sustaining the future. They studied the properties of hydrogen and its production methods and visited a hydrogen station in Sapporo to conduct an interview. Based on their work, they summarized the advantages and disadvantages of fuel cell electric vehicles that run on hydrogen.

They also discussed hydrogen production using methane derived from Hokkaido’s hot spring areas and livestock manure, concluding that hydrogen could contribute to low-carbon and decarbonization efforts. The content was backed by rigorous research and was highly persuasive.

List of the winning newspapers

• Website of the Base Camp for Promoting SDGs Energy Learning to Think about and Create the Future（in Japanese）

Division in Charge

Research and Public Relations Office, Policy Planning and Coordination Division, Commissioner’s Secretariat, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy