Dear MMDers,  I think there are many automata enthusiasts or makers of
the mechanical devices among MMD readers who will be interested in the
first-ever International Karakuri Contest, to be held during the 2005
World Exposition -- EXPO 2005 -- in Aichi, Japan.

The staff members of World Karakuri Contest asked me to inform foreign
people, in order to gather excellent contestants, so I will write the
information here in the MMD discussion board.

This is the first time world-wide contest of the karakuri. "Karakuri"
means some kind of mechanism in Japanese, and the definition of the
karakuri for this contest is as follows:

  Karakuri are contraptions borne of unique imagination and creativity,
  as well as an impish sense of fun, that are made to move by some kind
  of mechanism or systems.  The point of karakuri is not to compete
  with other devices to see which has the superior or higher precision
  mechanism, but rather for its workings to cause enjoyment, surprise,
  laughter and fun among people (i.e., the audience).

You foreign makers who are interested in this contest, please see the
schedule of the contest.  The URL is
  http://www.karakuri2005.com/en/data/a05_01.html

There are two points of the above schedule:

1. Primary examination will be conducted in June, 2005.  A production
assistance grant of 100,000 Japanese yen will be paid to those who
successfully pass the primary examination.

2. The deadline for submitting secondary exam material is July 31,
2005, and the secondary examination will be conducted in mid-August.

Those who successfully pass the secondary examination will demonstrate
their entries on September 18 and 19 at the Expo venue in the public
examination part of the contest.  Further details will be provided at
a later date.  Organizers will arrange airfares and accommodation.

I think that this is a good chance for foreign makers who would like to
show their excellent works to people and get the prize to fly to Japan!

Murakami Kazuo, Otsu, Shiga prefecture, Japan
(Kazuo is my first name)

 [ See Kazuo's photos of a karakuri demonstation at
 [   http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/index.html
 [  http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/karakuri1.html
 [
 [ More about the International Karakuri Contest at
 [   http://www.karakuri2005.com/en/index.html
 [ and subordinate web pages.  See photos at the Japanese site,
 [   http://www.karakuri2005.com/jp/index.html   and
 [   http://www.karakuri2005.com/jp/data/a01_01.html
 [
 [ Other interesting web sites about karakuri:
 [   http://www.karakuri.info/
 [   http://www.karakuri.info/dashi/
 [   http://www.csuohio.edu/history/japan/japan06.html
 [   http://www.csuohio.edu/history/japan/karakuri.html
 [
 [ -- Robbie