WEB Preliminaries Now Open! 'National Elementary School Programming Contest: Zero-One Grand Slam 2026' Details Released!

Shogakukan Inc., as a member of the 'Zero-One Grand Slam Executive Committee,' is managing the 'National Elementary School Programming Contest: Zero-One Grand Slam,' organized by the Junior Programming Promotion Association. With over 6,000 cumulative participants, it has established itself as one of Japan's largest programming competitions for elementary students. The WEB preliminaries for the 5th annual tournament began on May 15, 2026. The competition uses 'Scratch,' a visual programming language used by children worldwide. Entry and participation are free, and any elementary student can join. As it is held online, students can challenge themselves from anywhere in the country as many times as they like. The 'Group Entry' option, which was well-received last year, is available again this year, allowing programming schools and clubs to register multiple students at once. The second round will be divided into visual programming and robotics competitions, with top performers advancing to the final on September 27 (Sun). The Kansai round will be held on August 16 at the Osaka Sunrise Building, and the Kanto round on August 22 at the YAMAHA MOTOR Regenerative Lab. Gold sponsors include Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Cygames, Inc., with additional support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and local boards of education.