As we move further into the world of Web3 more and more individuals, companies and organisations are looking for new ways to carve a pathway for themselves in the digital universe.
One such institution taking the future by the reins is Kakugawa Dwango Gakuen N/S Middle and High School, which every year since 2016 has held its entrance ceremonies using the latest VR equipment and technology.

On Sunday the 10th of April, the school held its 2022 opening ceremony with the students using the metaverse communication service Virtual Cast.

The school itself prides itself on teaching students all things tech, and puts an emphasis on the shift between real-world education and that which can be conducted in the digital universe. As such, it makes sense that the school continues to hold their entrance ceremony and related events online using the most up-to-date technology.

The stage for the entrance ceremony was the VR school building “Learning Tower” which was designed and built by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma within the metaverse space.

Event moderation was conducted by virtual announcer Ken Isshou, who happens to share voice and experience with Nippon Broadcasting System radio network announcer Hisanori Yoshida.

Students joined the school’s two principals – Hirokazu Kuhei (pictured above to the left) and Hirokazu Kuhei (pictured above to the right) – on the stage in using their 3D avatars where they accepted their entrance and recite their school oaths.
In addition, the musician SASUKE, who previously graduated from N High School and appeared on stage at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Competition, welcomed in more than 6,000 new students with a live musical performance.

The ceremony was streamed live on NicoNico Live, YouTube and Twitter, meaning that even those outside of the school were able to watch the event as it unfolded.
Following the ceremony, new students were able to walk freely around the VR venue and experience the Metaverse world using the VR headsets such as Meta Quest, Oculus Rift & Oculus Touch and HTC VIVE.

Metaverse Entrance Ceremony for N Middle, N High and S High Schools

Date and time: Sunday 10 April 2022, from 17:00
Location:Virtual Cast Metaverse Space
Speakers: Ryu Orihara (President of N Middle School Joint School) Hirokazu Okuhira (N High School Principal) Soichiro Yoshimura (S High School Principal)
Moderator: Ken Isshou (Virtual Announcer)
Archive of the event available through NicoNico Live, YouTube and Twitter

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About Kakugawa Dwango Gakuen N Middle, N High and S High Schools

As of December 2021, Kakugawa Dwango Gakuen had a total of 21,409 students enrolled on courses at N High School and S High School.
Though these courses are based online, the school has two main venues (one in Okinawa and another in Ibaraki) and a total of 19 participating campuses across Japan.

The school practices education that fits the ever-changing internet society, with an emphasis put on teaching skills and providing diverse experiences that will help students to survive in a digitalised global society.
In addition to compulsory high school education classes, students can also take a variety of courses such as programming, novel writing, games, fashion, cooking and more. The courses can be completed in person, online or even through VR.

Kakugawa Dwango Gakuen N Middle School is a new concept “progressive” school that has 687 online students and 457 commuting students as of January 2022. Currently the school has 7 working campuses, with a further 2 more set to join from this April.
At the school students are encouraged to learn at their own pace, finding goals and acting independently to carve out their future careers.
Unlike Kakugawa Dwango Gakuen N High and S High Schools, the N middle school is not currently listed as an official Junior High School in accordance with Article 1 of Japan’s Education Law, as such, students will study at Kakugawa Dwango Gakuen N Middle School whilst still enrolled in an official Junior High School.