SAKAI, Osaka -- A third grader in this western Japan city who dreams of becoming a robot engineer in the future has successfully passed the national certification exam for the "second-class electrician" license.

Rei Shimada, 9, who lives in the Osaka Prefecture city of Sakai's Kita Ward, took the exam as part of learning the basics of electrical circuits. "I want to develop robots that have emotions and can help people," he commented.

Rei enjoys playing tag with his friends at parks and video games and is also learning English conversation and Japanese calligraphy. His parents, Yosuke and Ruriko, both 43-year-old radiology technicians, described him as a child who is articulate and competitive, much like the young Buddhist monk protagonist of the old Japanese TV anime "Ikkyu-san."

Rei was inspired to develop robots when he saw the robot character Korosuke in the TV anime "Kiteretsu Daihyakka" at the age of 4 or 5 and thought, "I want to make one myself." He started attending a nearby class every week to learn robot building and programming when he was 6.

The second-class electrician's license is essential for electrical installation work in homes and stores among other buildings. The exam, held twice a year, consists of a written test for knowledge of electrical basic theory and construction methods and a practical skills test. His father having passed the written test three years ago inspired Rei to aim for certification in the second half of fiscal 2024.

The written exam includes many kanji characters that are not taught in third grade. Yosuke helped his son by teaching the readings and meanings of the kanji and having him repeatedly solve questions from the test that were used in the past 10 years, leading to Rei's success.

The practical skills test is one of 13 candidate problems released in advance, requiring the ability to handle any situation. Yosuke looked for companies and other training sites that would provide instructions, but they declined for reasons such as Rei's lack of physical strength due to being a third grader. However, Seisho High School in the prefectural city of Settsu accepted him. From November to December last year, Yosuke drove him an hour and a half each way twice a week on weekdays for evening lectures.

Teachers Masakazu Takada, 48, and Yoshiyuki Kobuki, 35, provided guidance. They gave advice to Rei, who had struggled with processes like cutting multiple wires with special pliers because they require strength, such as using his body weight while standing for the work.

Rei focused on correcting mistakes made during the lessons and apparently repeated practicing at home, using YouTube as a reference. Takada and Kobuki noted that Rei is an honest child with a desire to improve, adding that they noticed that he had practiced repeatedly because his hands became more adept midway through the course.

Rei passed the exam in late January, which is said to be a rare achievement for a third grader. He remarked, "The written test was like solving a puzzle, and in the skills test I learned the joy of making things." His mother Ruriko added, "It was us parents who almost gave up, but we're happy he persevered and succeeded."

To let others know that he passed the exam despite a lack of physical strength, Rei shares tools he used on YouTube under the name "Denko Shonen" (roughly translating to "electrician boy"). Some of the tools were gifts from Yosuke's acquaintances as a reward for passing the written exam, which were relatively small and easy for Rei to use.

He expressed thanks for the support from many adults, saying, "I'm grateful to everyone. I want to work hard to become a robot engineer."

(Japanese original by Tatsu Shingu, Osaka City News Department)