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DIY Electronics

12 Maker Faire Tokyo Projects and 6 Workshop Picks to Get You Pumped

A practical guide to twelve documented Maker Faire Tokyo projects, changing workshop schedules, reservation rules and a micro:bit path you can try at home.

By ThatPainter Team 5 min read
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Maker Faire Tokyo is a hands-on festival: you can inspect unusual machines, try interactive exhibits, and make things in workshops. The next announced event is scheduled for September 5–6, 2026, at Ariake GYM-EX in Tokyo. Its official description highlights educational computers, 3D printers, AI and inventive uses of everyday materials.

The project list below turns documented exhibits into twelve concrete things to look for. Workshop availability, prices and booking rules change each year, so use the current program before travelling.

12 projects to put on your Maker Faire Tokyo route

These are documented examples from recent Maker Faire Tokyo programs and yearbooks. Several large displays contain multiple machines, so they are counted separately here to make planning easier.

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1. Impact Button accessibility controller

Kazuki Kurihara’s Impact Button applies Fitts’s law to help players react to Street Fighter 6’s Drive Impact. The 2025 program says the hardware was released as open source, allowing other makers to publish modifications.

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2. Minecraft creative systems

The 2025 program presents Minecraft as a making environment rather than only a game: visitors can create skins, items, blocks and systems, then share what they build.

3. Steering mini-car

An analog mechanical-toy collection in the yearbook uses motors, batteries, gears, springs and linkages. Its steering mini-car is a compact example of how motion can be built without a large digital control system.

4. Mechanical forklift

The same collection includes a forklift, letting visitors see lifting and steering mechanisms translated into a toy-scale machine.

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5. Mechanical loader

A loader demonstrates how linked parts and geared drive can coordinate a repeated material-moving motion.

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6. Gantry crane

The collection’s gantry crane extends the mechanical idea into a larger frame, with movement guided along a rail-like structure.

7. Inverted-pendulum robot

The robotics displays include a large inverted-pendulum machine. Keeping a body balanced over its moving base is a vivid demonstration of sensors, feedback and control.

8. High-torque arm robot

A high-torque arm robot shows how motors and mechanical joints can be combined for forceful, precise movement.

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9. Large drone

The yearbook also lists a large drone, bringing flight control and robotic navigation into the same exhibition mix.

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10. Machined competition robots

Machined robots built for competition show a different side of robotics: structural design, fabrication accuracy and engineering for repeated performance.

11. Minna No Machi (Our Town)

“Minna No Machi – Our Town” is a collaborative model-making activity in which children design and expand a town, including spaces for uniforms and furniture. It is a strong choice if you want a shared, visual project rather than a single finished object.

12. はみがっき musical toothbrush

“はみがっき” turns toothbrushing into sound by assigning notes to individual teeth—a playful example of converting an everyday action into an instrument.

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Six workshop ideas—and what the changing counts mean

Workshop totals are not fixed. The official 2024 program listed six workshops, while the 2025 program listed five. The programs also show different participation rules: some sessions are free, while others are paid and require advance booking.

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Make a Cardboard Dinosaur

In the 2024 program, this was a free, 45-minute rotating activity with no application required. It is the clearest documented drop-in option for visitors who want a short craft build.

Scratch and micro:bit toys or experimental devices

A 2022 guide documents “Scratchとmicro:bitでおもちゃや実験装置をつくろう!”—making toys and experimental devices with Scratch and micro:bit. This is a practical starting point for beginners who want to combine visual coding with a physical input or output.

Soldering workshop

The same 2022 guide places soldering alongside the Scratch-and-micro:bit activity. Expect a more hands-on electronics pathway: check the current year’s age, supervision and equipment rules before registering.

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AI RC-car workshop

The 2022 guide also lists an AI remote-control-car workshop, illustrating the progression from introductory coding toward sensing, control and robotics.

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Other current-program sessions

The 2025 program confirms five workshops overall but does not establish a permanent set of titles. Treat the remaining sessions as year-specific choices rather than assuming that an older workshop will return.

Free versus reserved sessions

For 2025, paid workshops required advance reservation through the booking page stated in that year’s program. Free activities may still use timed turns or capacity limits; the 2024 cardboard-dinosaur session was explicitly rotating and did not require an application.

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How to choose an activity

Decision point What to check Best fit
Build domain Electronics, robotics, mechanics, software or craft Choose the medium you already enjoy, or deliberately try a new one.
Participation mode Watch, interact or build Use exhibits for inspiration; reserve workshops when you want a take-home result.
Experience level Visual coding, soldering, fabrication or robotics requirements Scratch and micro:bit is the most clearly documented beginner-oriented route.
Time Session length and queue or rotation system The cardboard dinosaur session was 45 minutes and rotating in 2024.
Cost Free or paid materials and session fee Confirm the current program; 2025 included both free and paid workshops.
Booking Advance reservation, timed entry or walk-up Paid 2025 workshops required advance reservation; rules differ by activity.

What to bring and how to prepare

  • Check the year-specific program first. Schedules and contents can change, and workshop counts have already varied from six in 2024 to five in 2025.
  • Reserve paid sessions early. The 2025 program required advance booking for paid workshops.
  • Plan for active participation. Wear clothes and shoes suitable for standing, handling materials and moving between demonstrations.
  • Bring a way to record ideas. A phone or notebook is useful for sketches, mechanisms and code concepts you want to recreate.
  • For children, identify collaborative areas. Our Town is specifically described as a child-focused model town that can be expanded together.

A home starting point: a micro:bit kit

A micro:bit starter kit is the most direct home companion to the documented Scratch-and-micro:bit workshop. Look for a kit that includes the micro:bit board, a USB cable, a battery holder and beginner-friendly inputs or outputs. At home, start with a simple Scratch program that reacts to a button or sensor, then add a motor, light or sound output. Confirm current availability, price and shipping for your country before buying.

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Planning the day

  1. Read the current Maker Faire Tokyo program and mark the exhibits you can freely visit.
  2. Separate watch-and-interact displays from workshops that require a ticket, fee or reservation.
  3. Choose one build domain for a focused session—craft, coding, electronics, mechanics or robotics.
  4. Keep time for queues and demonstrations; a rotating activity is not the same as an all-day open bench.
  5. After the event, recreate one small idea at home, such as a micro:bit input/output experiment or a linkage-driven toy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to reserve a Maker Faire Tokyo workshop?

It depends on the session and year. The 2025 program required advance reservation for paid workshops, while the 2024 cardboard-dinosaur activity was free, rotating and required no application.

Which activity is best for a beginner?

The documented Scratch-and-micro:bit workshop is the clearest beginner-friendly path because it combines visual coding with a physical device. Verify the current program’s age and entry rules.

Can children participate?

Yes, at least one documented project—Minna No Machi (Our Town)—is designed for children to build a model town collaboratively. Check each workshop’s current age and supervision requirements.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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