ACTA Nishinomiya will apparently be holding an event called “Discover the Wonders and Amazing Abilities of Living Things,” with 100 spots each for in-person attendance and live-stream participation.
“Wait, water rolls around on top of a leaf!?” When you drop water onto a lotus leaf, it looks just like a little superball of water!
That’s just one example, but did you know the properties of lotus leaves have been applied to develop yogurt lids that yogurt doesn’t stick to, and cake films that whipped cream doesn’t cling to? It’s something close to everyday life, but surprisingly not well known. There’s a technology called biomimetics, which takes ideas from living things to create new products.
Here it is↓
It will be held at ACTA Nishinomiya on 8/2(Sat). Applications open today, 7/2(Wed), on a first-come, first-served basis〜
One of the lecturers is Satoru Tachibana from Kyoto University. He’ll introduce the features of living things using 3D visuals and more.
In Satoru Tachibana（橘 悟）’s book, “Biomimetics Will Change the Future,” he introduces the secrets of how familiar living creatures such as remoras and shark skin are driving future technologies, and it’s been getting a lot of attention! This time, under the theme “comfortable living learned from living things,” the presentation will be packed with visuals that will make parents and children go, “Whoa!”
The other lecturer is Tamaki Wakita
Tamaki Wakita, who is also active as a radio personality, will screen an animation from “Tamaki’s Living Things Land” using a projector.
The content is highly regarded in environmental education settings as a certified organization of the Hyogo Environmental Advancement Association, so it’s fun while still offering solid learning. The living-things quiz is sure to get the kids super excited〜〜
So what exactly is biomimetics?
The biomimetics researched by Satoru Tachibana. To put “bio-mi-me-tics?” in one simple phrase, it’s “making things with living creatures as teachers.”
For example,
- 🐟 Remoras They cling tightly even to large sharks and rough sea turtle shells! Their suction structure has inspired attachments for underwater drones
- 🍃 Lotus leaves（lotus effect） Super water-repellent, causing rain and mud to roll right off. Used for yogurt lids
Three benefits of learning from “living things”
- Boosts curiosity Helps you gain a new way of thinking by looking again at everyday objects “from a living creature’s perspective”
- Makes independent research easier Get ideas for summer research projects from the day’s event
- Fun for parents and children Kids and adults alike will keep saying “Really?!” and the conversation will flow
\\( ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ Registration starts 7/2(Wed) at 9:00!
There are only 100 spots, so if you’re interested, hit that apply now button!
Event Overview（Quick Recap）
| Event name | Summer Vacation! Learn Biomimetics Through Visuals “Discover the Wonders and Amazing Abilities of Living Things” |
|---|---|
| Date & time | August 2, 2025 (Sat) 13:00〜15:00（doors open at 12:30） |
| Venue | Nishinomiya City University Exchange Center, Large Lecture Room（ACTA Nishinomiya East Building 6F） |
| Lecturers | Satoru Tachibana, Researcher, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University Tamaki Wakita（Representative of Living Things Land） |
| Target audience | All elementary school grades（with parent/guardian）to adults |
| Capacity | 100 in-person participants・100 live-stream participants（Google Meet） |
| Participation fee | 1,000 yen per person（tax and insurance included） |
| How to apply | Online only（first-come, first-served） Registration opens from 7/2(Wed) 9:00 ※Ends once capacity is reached |
| Notes | ・Preschool children are asked to participate via live stream ・A limited-time archived stream will be available later（participant benefit） |
Hometown Tax Crowdfunding Challenge Underway
A hometown tax-style crowdfunding campaign is being held as part of Nishinomiya City’s 100th anniversary project, supporting exciting hands-on activities for children. You can receive deductions on resident tax and income tax〜. You can support the campaign from 1,000 yen through Satofull here〜.
※If within your deduction limit
Final Thoughts
These days, it’s easy to get information quickly online, but real-life experiences connect strongly with memory and become hard to forget. I don’t think events this exciting come around very often at ACTA Nishinomiya, so definitely check it out during summer vacation〜. It could become a great memory and maybe even come in handy someday in the future.
