
For many of our readers, the “culture festivals” held at high schools and colleges will already be familiar thanks to their prevalence in anime and TV dramas produced in Japan. Even if you’ve never been to Japan yourself, you probably already know that the classes turn their rooms into fun little shops, offering food and entertainment for their families, friends, alumni fellow students and teachers.
While most of them aren’t particularly elaborate, every now and then, a class with will show up with a project that goes above and beyond. This year, one of those projects exploded online, capturing the attention of thousands of Twitter users. The idea? The students made their own “tea cup” ride! It’s just like what you’d see at Disneyland, but entirely mechanical and way, way more awesome!
A bit of ingenuity can go a long way, so we imagine whoever came up with this design is already on the path to fame and riches as an engineer. Or at least going to have no trouble getting into a decent university.
[tweet https://twitter.com/1230Seiya/status/649532795547598849 align=center]The tweet above showing off the “coffee cup” ride garnered almost 50,000 retweets and favorites combined—which is probably about 10,000 times what they expected! But it’s not difficult to see why the video is so popular, as you really have to respect the ingenuity and dedication to not only make this ride but to keep pushing it for customer after customer.
▼ But it was surely worth it for 29,000 retweets.
[tweet https://twitter.com/1230Seiya/status/650990904090607617 align=center]If you’re wondering how the ride was made to spin, you may be interested to know that no bearings were used. One Twitter user asked and was surprised to learn that the spinning was accomplished using only “casters,” as in the spinning wheels you find on the bottom of handcarts and the like.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Recon1023/status/649582872139960320 align=center hide_thread=’true’]“By ‘tires’, do you mean casters? So, you didn’t use any bearings? (´・ω・`) Thank you!”
We’re not sure how much more difficult that actually makes things, but we’re still impressed. And now that we’ve watched those kids pushing the wheel for nearly an eternity, we can’t help thinking of this. We might need to update it for the modern age though. Maybe something about getting lots of attention on Twitter and selfies?
Source/image: Twitter/@1230Seiya

School kids in Japan build incredible working tea cup rides for school festivals
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
Japanese convenience store releases Japanese convenience store-flavor fried chicken
Starbucks Japan releases new fireworks collection that captures the beauty of a summer festival
Starbucks Japan releases new Discovery Series collection celebrating local regions and traditions
Family Mart’s new Tokyo flagship convenience store doesn’t feel convenient, but is that a problem?
Tokyo’s viral 90-yen cafe pop-up returns to Harajuku with yogurt coffee
Japan’s favorite quasi-local curry launches convenience store version – Does it match the real deal?
Japan’s ultracompact kei car taxis are now ready for travelers to ride, if you know where to find them
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Japanese government ID card and app to be required for certain Pokémon card purchases next month
Teen girl in Japan refuses to be victim, personally escorts train pervert to police for arrest
Is Japan’s tourism boom slowing down? Foreign visitor numbers fall for first time in five years
Evangelion beautifully reimagined as iconic classical Japanese folding screen art series [Photos]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa