In Kumagaya, Japan, a growing number of young artists are using school blackboards as unconventional canvases, transforming them into vibrant works of chalk art. This creative movement is showcased annually through “Kokuban Art Koshien,” a national chalk art competition designed for high school and junior high students across Japan. Since its inception in 2015, the event has attracted entries from around 300 schools each year, highlighting the contest’s widespread appeal.
Organized by Nichigaku Co., a Tokyo-based blackboard manufacturer, the competition encourages students to blend creativity and teamwork to produce large-scale chalk drawings directly on classroom blackboards. Artworks often reflect a diverse range of subjects, including energetic motifs like dinosaurs and whales, popular manga scenes, traditional Japanese imagery such as Hokusai’s Mount Fuji, as well as imaginative depictions like underwater classrooms. The works can be highly detailed and layered, sometimes even portraying a person writing on a blackboard, demonstrating the versatility of the medium.
Kazunari Minamishima, an art teacher at the Saitama Prefectural High School of the Arts whose students have participated in the contest, noted that the format allows for experimentation beyond more established artistic forms like oil painting or sculpture. “It’s still a work in progress,” he said, reflecting the evolving nature of this art form.
Judging of the contest takes place through the evaluation of photographs, due to the impracticality of moving the physical blackboards. Winners of the current year’s contest are scheduled to be announced in November. The competition serves not only to celebrate student creativity but has also provided a platform for some participants to pursue professional careers in the arts.
The origins of chalkboard art in Japanese schools predate the contest. Nichigaku’s president, Tomohiro Yoshida, recalled seeing a remarkable chalk reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” on a school blackboard, which inspired the decision to establish a formal competition. Although the contest is not primarily a marketing tool for Nichigaku, given that schools already possess blackboards, it fosters a unique artistic community.
Artists employ techniques such as scattering chalk powder to create a shimmering “stardust” effect and use smudging with fingers or tissue to develop shadows and muted tones. Creative approaches even include mixing chalk powder with water and spraying it onto the board, akin to the style of abstract painter Jackson Pollock.
Kokuban Art Koshien welcomes entries from all Japanese schools, including international institutions, and Nichigaku has expressed hopes to extend the competition to an international level in the future, promoting this distinctive art form beyond Japan’s borders.