August 3, 2026 Holding of "National CTF Contest"

　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will hold a Nationwide CTF(*) Contest at nine venues across Japan and online on Saturday, October 3, 2026, with the aim of raising interest in cybersecurity among students and young members of society.

* CTF (Capture the Flag) is a quiz-style competition in the field of cybersecurity in which participants use their knowledge and skills to find a hidden answer (flag).

Note: The published materials are in Japanese only.

1　Purpose

　As the role of cyberspace as the foundation of socio-economic activities continues to expand, the damage caused by cyberattacks is becoming increasingly severe, and developing and securing personnel capable of addressing these threats has become an important issue.

　For this reason, MIC will hold the “National CTF Contest” with the aim of fostering greater interest in cybersecurity among students and young members of society. In this contest, participants, including both those with CTF experience and those who are new to CTF, will learn the basic concepts and techniques of cybersecurity through a workshop-style format designed to allow everyone to participate with confidence.

2　 Date and time

Saturday, October 3, 2026, 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.)

3　 Venues

（1）Main venue

• ○ Tokyo Venue: AP Hamamatsucho Room D+E+F

（2）Regional venues

• ○ Sendai Venue: TKP Garden City PREMIUM Sendai West Entrance Hall 7A
• ○ Nagano Venue: HOTEL SHINANOJI, Asama
• ○ Kanazawa Venue: TKP Garden City PREMIUM Kanazawa Station West Exit Hall 3B
• ○ Nagoya Venue: TKP Garden City PREMIUM Nagoya Taiko, Hall 6A
• ○ Osaka Venue: AP Osaka Umeda East Room M
• ○ Ube Venue: INTERNATIONAL HOTEL UBE, Pearl
• ○ Matsuyama Venue: Matsuyama University, Bunkyo Campus Building 2, Room 214
• ○ Hakata Venue: TKP Garden City PREMIUM Hakata Ekimae, Hall 3A

（3）Online venue

4　 Program overview

Opening remarks

Part 1

• ○ Lecture on cybersecurity
  Overview: This lecture introduces examples of recent high-profile incidents and explains current trends in cyberattacks.

Part 2

• ○ CTF workshop
  Overview: Participants will compete for the highest score by solving cybersecurity-related problems. Awards will also be presented to top performers (overall and at each venue).
  Note: At some venues, lectures by other organizations may be held following the CTF workshop. Please check the program for each venue for details.

Part 3

• ○ CTF explanation
  Overview: The lecturer will explain the problems tackled during the CTF workshop.
  Note: Due to time constraints, it is not possible to cover every challenge. Thank you for your understanding in advance.

　Lecturer for Parts 1–3: SONODA Michio, Director of the National Cyber Training Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)

5　 Target participants

　Junior high school, high school, technical college, junior college, vocational school, university and graduate students and young members of society (in their first three years) who are interested in cybersecurity

　Note: People not in the above categories are also welcome to participate.

6　 Capacity

Main venue: 50 people; regional venues: 30 people per venue; online venue: 450 people (on a first come, first served basis)

7　 Organizers

MIC: Cyber Security Directorate General's Office, Tohoku Bureau of Telecommunications, Kanto Bureau of Telecommunications, Shin-Etsu Bureau of Telecommunications, Hokuriku Bureau of Telecommunications, Tokai Bureau of Telecommunications, Kinki Bureau of Telecommunications, Chugoku Bureau of Telecommunications, Shikoku Bureau of Telecommunications, and Kyushu Bureau of Telecommunications

8　 Participation Fee

Free

9　 How to apply

Please apply using the following application form:

• Application form: https://www.kiis.or.jp/form/?id=294
• Application deadline: Friday, September 25, 2026

Note: Administrative tasks related to the operation of this event have been outsourced to Kansai Information Center Foundation (KIIS).

10　 Handling of personal information

　Personal information obtained will be used only for administrative purposes related to the organization and running of this event and will be properly disposed of after the end of the event.

　In addition, photographs may be taken at each venue to document the event, and participants may be included by chance in these photographs. Please note that these photographs may be posted on the websites of MIC and others.