Images Were Created In A Classroom Using Chalk

This everyday scene of a classroom, highlighted with fanciful, imaginative elements in color, comes from the Gwangneung High School in the Saitama Prefecture.

From the Matsudo High School art department in the Chiba Prefecture comes this beautifully detailed chalkboard design, created by no less than 11 students. The subtleties and varieties of color that the students achieved here even surprised the judges.

On the other end of the spectrum, though no less nuanced, is this minimalist approach to Mt. Fuji, created by two students from the Miko Sakuranomaki High School in the Ibaraki Prefecture. Using just white chalk, they managed to capture the iconic, snow-covered slopes of Japan's famous mountain.

This vivid design incorporates a number of Japanese cultural icons, such as Hokusai's famous wave print, traditional dishes, and a phoenix. It's very bright and colorful, and the judges found it balanced but energetic.

Two students from the Aso High School in the Kanagawa Prefecture created this image, with the spread wings symbolizing the students' "taking flight" from school into their adult lives.

Shizuoka Prefecture's Science and Technology High School created this softly colored entry. It includes messages of encouragement to graduating students who might feel anxious about taking their next steps and "[leaving] the nest."