As a leading manufacturer in the electronics field, Murata is committed toward showing children how fascinating science and technology can be, and is engaged in developing the next generation of innovators. Toward that end, Murata continues to run various STEAM-related educational activities.
In Japan, children are becoming less interested in science, while there is also a general shortage of people to fill IT roles. With these issues in mind, Murata began getting actively involved in STEAM-related educational activities in 2006, using a "school visit" approach.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Mathematics) education is an approach in which education focusing on creativity is combined with education focusing on science and mathematics.
Murata's school visits
During school visits, instructors focus on three major types of lessons.
Career education
Environmental education
Programming education
- Career education
- This lesson makes use of "MURATA BOY," a bicycle-riding robot developed in 2005. Children are introduced to development processes and electronic components used in robots, so that they gain an appreciation for the fascinating work done by engineers in the manufacturing field.
- Environmental education
- Introduced in 2012, this lesson focuses on the relationship between electrical energy and the environment. Based on what students learn about electricity during their fourth through sixth years at elementary school, students in this lesson charge capacitors using hand-cranked generators, connect them to different loads, and see how power consumption changes.
- Programming education
- We added the "Control the Teacher Robot!!" lesson in response to requests from teachers, in preparation for when programming would become a mandatory subject in elementary schools (2020 academic year). The goal is for students to gain the ability to think logically. To keep learning fun, a teacher pretends to be a robot, while students send instructions to the "robot" using a tablet.
A great opportunity to meet with children and get engaged
Murata business sites make around 100 school visits per year, typically to whichever school is nearest. Some students participating in these lessons have gone on to study science at university, and some have even gone on to work at Murata!
Serving as instructors during these lessons are Murata volunteers from a wide range of ages and departments. In addition to being a means of giving back to local communities, school visits serve as an opportunity for employees to communicate with children, become more motivated with work, and think about the work they do.
Volunteer staff
Murata's initiatives throughout the world
Murata's overseas business sites also make school visits.
During "environmental education" school visits, children operate hand-cranked generators to generate power, in order to learn about topics such as electrical energy, capacitors, and the principle of energy conversion. They also learn about the social issue of global warming.
Children using hand-cranked generators (China)
In addition to visiting schools, Murata employees also hold lessons at other locations where children of all ages gather together.
We are investing in the innovators of tomorrow by providing children with fascinating and enjoyable experiences to stimulate their intellectual curiosity, which we think is very important.
A science show (US)
"Mulabo!," where children can experience the mystery and fun of science all year round
In December 2020, we opened Mulabo! in the Murata Manufacturing Minato MIRAI Innovation Center (Yokohama), in order to provide children with a means to experience the mystery and fun of science all year round. We regularly hold exhibits and events related to science and electricity here.
Click here for the website of Mulabo!
"Discover Denshi-land!," a website for children to have fun learning how electronic components work
We launched the "Discover Denshi-land!" website in January 2022. This online "theme park" allows children to have fun learning about electronic components.
This website describes the characteristics of electronic components and explains how these components are used in society, in a manner that is both fun and easy to understand for children. The ultimate goal of the site is to get children interested in science and technology.
Click here for the website of Discover Denshi-land!
Murata is committed toward helping educate the next generation of innovators, through providing STEAM-related educational activities that make learning fun.