During summer vacation, experiments, craft classes, and other activities are held in many places. Some children may take part as a way to work on their summer vacation assignments.
In Kojima, a package design company is holding a “Summer Fun Craft Workshop.” What’s more, participants can enjoy making things alongside professional designers.
What exactly will they make? We spoke with the organizers about the special touches that only a design company can offer.
The information provided was current when this article was published in July 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “Summer Fun Craft Workshop”?
The “Summer Fun Craft Workshop” is a hands-on making workshop for elementary school students, held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Kojima Industrial Promotion Center.
The organizer, Just Co., Ltd., is a packaging design company based in Kojima. Drawing on the skills it has developed through planning and producing packaging, the company has held a craft workshop to share the joy of making things with children every year since 2024.
Design all kinds of birds! The “Forest-in-a-Box Lamp”
At the 2026 workshop, participants will make a “Forest-in-a-Box Lamp.” A bird-shaped lamp is enclosed in a cardboard box.
When you open the box, soft light spreads out like wings.
When they hear “lamp,” some people may think, “Isn’t that a difficult craft?” But what the children will work on is the bird design inside the box. There are no dangerous tasks or difficult steps that might make them give up partway through.
Children choose a favorite shape from the birds prepared in advance, then use various decorations and tools to create their own bird.
Participants are asked to bring the items and materials they want to use for decorating.
Anything can be used to decorate the bird, including stickers, origami paper, yarn, buttons, and beads, as well as leaves and nuts. Paint is essential, so participants are encouraged to bring some.
The materials you use will change the bird’s look and feel. Try combining different materials to create a bird full of personality.
If there’s time, you can also design the lamp’s light.
This year, an after-sales service has also been introduced. If a finished creation breaks, participants can bring it to Just, where the company will replace parts and provide other assistance.
The service was introduced because many children were worried their creations might break while carrying them to school to submit as summer vacation assignments. It’s nice for children to be able to enjoy their creations for a long time.
The kits used in the workshop are made by hand, one by one, and designed from scratch by professional designers at Just. It’s the perfect summer vacation challenge: children can create a one-of-a-kind piece alongside a designer.
To participate, please apply using the dedicated application form. The deadline is 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 16. If there are more applications than places, participants will be selected by lottery.
Interview with the organizer
What makes Just’s craft workshop special? We spoke with Just’s Hamada Masaaki about the event he organizes.
A special craft workshop where children experience the joy of saying, “I did it!”
Since you make the kits in-house, are there any elements that are unique to a packaging design company?
Hamada (honorific omitted)
We always incorporate the idea of “wrapping” from packaging into the theme of our craft workshops.
In 2024, we made a PET bottle lantern wrapped in packaging; in 2025, a moving package beast; and in 2026, we designed a lamp with a bird housed in a box.
We also send participants a manual in advance. To help them get excited as they prepare for the day, our professional designers put just as much care into making the manual.
What are some of the special touches?
Hamada
We make the kits look as handmade as possible, so teachers won’t mistake them for store-bought products when children submit them as summer vacation assignments. We want children to feel proud that they made something themselves, so we make the most of paper and cardboard to ensure the kits don’t look like commercial products.
We also place importance on how we teach. Rather than guiding children through every step, we share tips with them. We tell our staff to focus on giving children the successful experience of thinking, “I can do it too!”
You value experiences that are neither too easy nor too difficult, and that give children a sense of accomplishment.
Hamada Masaaki
That’s right. The concept behind our craft workshops is to give children successful experiences. It’s not good if something is so difficult that they lose confidence, or so easy that it doesn’t feel rewarding.
We prepare the parts that are difficult, but always leave in a “you can do it if you try a little” step that children can overcome on their own.
I was clumsy as a child and felt self-conscious about it, but once I learned the tricks of making things, I started enjoying it all at once. I want to pass on to children the tips that will help them get good at making things in the shortest time possible.
Contributing to the community with excitement through making things
This is the third time the workshop has been held. What led to its launch?
Hamada Masaaki
It began with our desire to connect with the community through the kind of making things we excel at.
At Just, we had already been working to contribute to the community through activities such as checking in on older people living nearby and picking up litter. As we continued these activities, we thought, “We want to interact more closely with local people and contribute to the community in a more exciting way.”
That’s when we came up with the idea of a craft workshop for children.
Elementary school students often walk along the road in front of our office, but not many know what kind of company Just is. We rarely get the chance to interact with elementary school students through our work, so we decided to try organizing an event to connect with children.
So your long-standing community activities led to the idea for the craft workshop.
Hamada Masaaki
Actually, it’s an idea we’d been nurturing since around 2019, thinking, “We’d like to do this someday.” After the COVID-19 pandemic, we were finally able to make it happen.
It also serves as in-house training. We hope that having professional designers teach the children will give them the experience of “learning by teaching.”
How did the children who took part in previous workshops respond?
Hamada Masaaki
They’re all genuinely delighted.
Some children carry their finished creations home as if they were treasures, and others keep them by their pillows. It makes us so happy. The children come up with ideas we never would have imagined, so the staff are surprised every time.
In 2025, a girl won an award for a creation she made here. When we received her message sharing her joy, I thought how glad I was that we had kept this activity going.
A summer vacation that builds confidence through success
Who would you recommend taking part?
Hamada Masaaki
Of course, we welcome children who love making things, but I especially hope that children like I was—who “love it but lack confidence because they’re clumsy with their hands”—will come.
These days, there are ready-made products that are easy to put together, and you can find answers right away by searching on social media. That’s exactly why I want children to experiment with their own hands and experience the success of saying, “I made it myself!” We’ll do everything we can to support them.
Do you have a final message?
Hamada Masaaki
We’re planning a craft workshop not only to share the joy of making things, but also to help children gain successful experiences and feel a little more confident. We’ll spare no effort to make sure everyone is satisfied.
Just is the only place in the world where you can make the “Forest of Boxes Lamp.” Rather than letting this be just another craft project, let’s create together a formative experience of making things that will stay with you for a lifetime.
We look forward to seeing everyone’s ideas at the venue.
From the Writer
During the interview, the writer was amazed by the striking appearance of the completed Forest of Boxes Lamp.
A colorful bird spread its wings inside a sturdy paper box, and I honestly thought, “Making this by yourself would surely give you confidence.”
The Just website introduces how to make a variety of birds, so if you’re interested, be sure to check it out. Even just watching the birds take shape is enjoyable.
The experience of “making something yourself” can remain a happy memory even as you grow older. I’m sure you’ll grow attached to something you’ve taken the time to make.
Why not make a treasure this summer vacation?
Summer Exciting Craft Workshop Information
| Name | Summer Exciting Craft Workshop |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, August 1, 2026 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Location | Kurashiki City Kojima Industrial Promotion Center (2nd floor, Conference Room 3), 1-37 Kojima Ekimae, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Participation fee: 1,000 yen |
| Website | Just Co., Ltd. 2026 Craft Workshop |
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