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DigiKey Announces Grand Prize Winner of Japan’s Inaugural Make ONE Challenge 2026

Winning projects showcased at Maker Faire Tokyo 2026 celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of Japan’s engineers, students and makers

Osaka, Japan - September 9, 2026

Image of DigiKey Announces Grand Prize Winner of Japan’s Inaugural Make ONE Challenge 2026 Members of Yugi Tech Lab, the Make ONE Challenge 2026 grand prize winner, pose with their winning project, "Issen Boy!" at the award ceremony during Maker Faire Tokyo 2026, alongside special judge Ichiken (on the left).

DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, announced the grand prize winner of its inaugural Make ONE Challenge 2026 electronics design contest in Japan. The awards ceremony was held during Maker Faire Tokyo and recognized four outstanding projects, with Issen Boy!, the world’s smallest 1.1 cm game console, selected as the winner.

What is the Make ONE Challenge?

DigiKey's Make ONE Challenge is an electronics design contest in Japan that celebrates the creativity, technical skills and passion for innovation demonstrated by Japanese engineers, students and makers. The contest was conducted in collaboration with ProtoPedia and sponsored by NXP Semiconductors. The contest reflects DigiKey’s commitment to supporting the engineering community from ideation and component selection through prototyping and product development.

Launched in April 2026, the competition invited participants to take on their most ambitious design challenge and turn their innovative ideas into reality. DigiKey supported participants at various stages of the development process by providing electronic components and resources, including DigiKey’s parts management tool, My Lists, online conversion calculators, a design reference library, EDA and other design tools. The contest culminated at Maker Faire Tokyo 2026, where finalists showcased their projects, and the grand prize winner was announced.

The grand prize was awarded to Yugi Tech Lab for their project, "Issen Boy!," a remarkably compact 1.1 cm game console that demonstrated advanced miniaturization, creative hardware design, exceptional engineering skill, creativity and technical achievement.

"What impressed us most with the Make ONE Challenge finalists was the variety of ideas participants submitted," said David Sandys, senior director of technical enablement and engagement for DigiKey. "From practical inventory management tools to a miniaturized game console, the finalists demonstrated the creativity and technical skill that make Japan's engineering community so unique. We're proud to support innovators as they turn ideas into working prototypes and projects."

Yosuke Okuma, Head of Marketing Communications & Automation at NXP Japan, commented: "Through the Make ONE Challenge, I was deeply impressed by the ability of engineers, students, and makers in Japan to transform bold ideas into working creations. We are proud to have worked with DigiKey to provide a platform for experimentation and challenge using NXP's broad range of technologies, from entry-level microcontrollers to edge AI-capable platforms. Japan's maker community is a true source of innovation. NXP will continue to provide the technologies and environment that enable the next generation of engineers to bring their ideas to life and support the future of Japan’s manufacturing and making culture."

Four outstanding projects were selected as DigiKey’s Make ONE Challenge finalists and exhibited during Maker Faire Tokyo 2026:

Nandemo Runway – B.B. Korry
Chip Wall – A wall-mounted inventory management system – ysuito
"Issen Boy!" – A 1.1 cm game console – Yugi Tech Lab
Run Moka Railway – An interactive driving experience controlling both the screen and a real model – Ignite Tomorrow

In addition, Life-Size Automata Project – YP-01 NAKO Unit 1 received the Student Award, IchiPing received the Ichiken Special Award, and Ichi GO MILK – Idol Life Game received the ProtoPedia Award. I Want to Make a Panda Bounce!, Unary Clock and DENKO were selected for the DigiKey Award.

A special judging panel, including popular Japanese electronics YouTuber Ichiken, evaluated the entries and participated in the award presentation ceremony. All four finalist projects were showcased at the DigiKey booth, where attendees could meet the inventors and experience the projects firsthand. DigiKey will feature interviews with the finalists by Ichiken on the DigiKey Japan YouTube channel.

For more information about the Make ONE Challenge 2026 and to see details about all the contest finalists and highlighted projects, visit the contest landing page on DigiKey's website.

About DigiKey

DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products. DigiKey delivers the broadest and deepest selection of products available for immediate shipment worldwide, offering more than 17.4 million components from over 3,000 trusted manufacturers. Engineers, designers, builders and procurement professionals rely on DigiKey for innovative digital solutions, design tools and frictionless purchasing experiences that simplify every stage of their projects. Discover more about DigiKey’s electronics distribution, automation solutions and design resources at digikey.com and on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.