A shuttered junior high school in Kurate Town (Fukuoka Pref.) has been repurposed as Kurate Gakuen, a virtual school for cosplayers. After the actual school closed its doors at the end of the 2014 school year, the town adopted an idea proposed by a Fukuoka City-based consultant who recommended focusing on the anime and cosplay scene. An operating company was established, and Kurate Gakuen began holding monthly events for cosplayers last July. Last November, Kurate Town’s initiative was awarded a ¥37.5 million grant under the national government’s Regional Revitalization Project, and the Town began replacing repairing light fixtures and plumbing this month.Going forward it will invest in a 3-D printer, graphic design software and other equipment that will let users create their own characters. In April, Kurate Gakuen will begin renting out desks in the old staff office in an effort to incubate anime-related business. Source: RKB News, 1/15
(Photo for illustrative purposes only: source)