Tokyo and Kyoto unveil AI and gacha tools to aid students' summer research projects

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has added a new section called the “Tokyo Child Free Research Lab” to its popular child‑focused website. The platform offers about 130 research topics related to Tokyo and municipal affairs, and an AI‑driven feature that suggests themes based on keywords entered by the user. It also provides guidance on how to plan, conduct and present a project, aiming to make summer homework easier for families. The site, part of the 2050 Tokyo Strategy’s child‑centred policy push, already records more than one billion page views and peaks at around 100,000 daily visitors.

In Kyoto, the Fushimi Central Library in the Fushimi‑Imamachi district has introduced a “Free Research Gacha” machine. Children who are unsure of a research theme can receive a random suggestion from the gacha, helping them start their summer assignments. The library’s initiative is another local effort to support students with their compulsory summer projects.