Kyoto Tachibana University Launches 'Kyoto Tachibana Heroes' Project: Researchers as Trading Cards to Bring Academia Closer to Youth

Kyoto Tachibana University (Yamashina Ward, Kyoto City; President: Tomohiro Okada) has launched a researcher PR initiative called 'Kyoto Tachibana Heroes,' spotlighting the diverse research activities of its faculty. The project aims to clearly communicate each researcher’s questions, passions, and the appeal of their work, creating new opportunities for younger generations—especially high school students—to become interested in university-level learning.

In recent years, high school students’ career choices increasingly focus on 'what they want to learn' and 'what interests them.' However, actual opportunities to engage with academic disciplines and research remain limited. As a comprehensive university where 10 faculties and 18 departments—including humanities, sciences, and medical fields—coexist on a single campus, Kyoto Tachibana fosters daily interactions among faculty and students from diverse fields, creating an environment where varied knowledge and perspectives intersect. Interdisciplinary collaborative research, such as through 'Research Units,' is actively conducted, and these initiatives and outcomes enrich student learning. Leveraging these unique strengths, the project portrays researchers who address various societal challenges as 'heroes,' presenting not only their research but also their personalities and ways of thinking.

As the first phase, the university has created researcher trading cards (hereafter 'trading cards') that characterize faculty members based on their expertise and research themes. Alongside trading cards featuring 17 faculty members from humanities, science, and medical fields, the university has produced a 'Heroes Profile Booklet' introducing research themes and characteristics, and launched a dedicated website. These trading cards will be distributed at university events such as Open Campus and Tachibana Science Day, aiming to spark curiosity—such as 'What kind of thoughts does this professor have?' or 'This field looks interesting'—and create new encounters with academic learning.

Moving forward, the university plans to release video content featuring faculty members discussing social issues and everyday topics as 'heroes of knowledge,' sharing diverse perspectives and the excitement of academic disciplines. Through experiential learning that blends play and education, Kyoto Tachibana University will continue to convey the unique appeal of its integrated knowledge environment.

【Distribution of Trading Cards and Profile Booklets】

Distribution is planned for attendees at the following events:

Date and Time:

[Open Campus] July 18 (Sat) – 19 (Sun), 2026, 10:00–15:00

August 1 (Sat) – 2 (Sun), 2026, 10:00–15:00

[Tachibana Science Day] July 25 (Sat), 2026, 10:00–15:00

Venue: Kyoto Tachibana University Campus Target Audience: High school students, elementary school students, parents, etc.

【Overview of the Researcher PR Project 'Kyoto Tachibana Heroes'】

About 'Kyoto Tachibana Heroes'

'Kyoto Tachibana Heroes' is a project that communicates researchers’ questions, passions, challenges, and the excitement of learning that follows, creating an 'entry point' for high school students and other young people to encounter new academic fields and research. Kyoto Tachibana University brings together researchers from diverse fields—from engineering and medicine to humanities, international studies, education, psychology, and sociology—who are tackling societal challenges and creating new value. Each researcher’s focus holds the potential for future discoveries and new learning pathways. With 10 faculties and 18 departments on a single campus, diverse academic disciplines interact daily, generating new knowledge and value. The learning journey of a single researcher expands through encounters with various fields, eventually leading to cross-disciplinary co-creation and new discoveries. This unique academic and learning environment is symbolized by the name 'Kyoto Tachibana Heroes.'

The name 'Heroes' (Hero’s) reflects the intention not merely to view researchers as a collective group of 'heroes (Heroes),' but to highlight each individual researcher’s knowledge, passion, questions, challenges, and personal story. Because all 10 faculties and 18 departments are on one campus, these individual stories connect, and through the intersection of diverse academic fields, new discoveries, co-creation, and boundless future possibilities emerge.

Meaning Behind the Logo

The logo features the citrus fruit 'mikan,' linked to the university’s name, and the 'sun' illuminating the campus on a gentle hill. The sun symbolizes researchers who illuminate society and the future with the power of knowledge.

The 10 colors used in the symbol represent the university’s 10 faculties, symbolizing the diverse learning environments on a single campus and the new possibilities born from their interaction. Additionally, the katakana lettering incorporates a superhero scarf motif, expressing the dynamic spirit of researchers who continue to challenge themselves.

【Overview of the First Phase: Researcher Trading Cards】

Concept

Centered on the concept of 'learning through play,' faculty members are portrayed as 'hero characters.' This researcher PR project uses trading cards to create serendipitous opportunities for people to encounter university learning.

Features

(1) Faculty as 'Heroes'

Each faculty member is characterized as a hero, with their expertise, research themes, and societal questions translated into hero costumes and items.

(2) Visualizing the Appeal of Diverse Faculty

By portraying humanities, science, and medical faculty as heroes with distinct abilities and traits, the university visually communicates its broad academic offerings and the individuality of each faculty member. The illustrations are designed to be understandable for elementary and high school students.

(3) Embodying a 'Campus of Integrated Knowledge'

By gathering faculty from diverse fields—humanities, science, and medicine—the project represents Kyoto Tachibana University’s unique environment where different knowledge systems and ways of thinking intersect, generating new learning and boundless possibilities.

First-Phase Trading Card Project Details

- Created field-specific trading cards featuring humanities, science, and medical faculty heroes

- Produced a visual poster featuring all heroes

- Created a 'Heroes Profile Booklet' introducing hero traits, backgrounds, and research themes to convey researchers’ appeal

- Launched a dedicated website introducing faculty and research, linked to the cards

Future Developments

The university plans to develop a card game based on the trading cards, creating an interactive 'learn through play' experience that encourages engagement with cross-disciplinary ideas and perspectives.

【Visual Poster】

【Field-Specific PR Trading Cards: Humanities, Science, Medical】

【Researcher Trading Card Special Website】

https://www.tachibana-u.ac.jp/heros-tcg/index.html