Claude Code hackathon in Japan arms 250 builders with Max 5x

Veteran engineers and people touching code for the first time get the same invite. Per Cerebral Valley's announcement, Built with Claude Code: Japan 2026 is Anthropic's first hackathon open online to builders across Japan, with 250 spots filled by selection.

Each participant gets a Max 5x Plan plus $500 in Claude API credits, and winners share $50,000 (about 8,000,000 yen) in API credits. The judges haven't been named, only promised soon.

It runs fully online and is limited to Japan residents. Teams cap at two, and every teammate applies and gets screened separately.

Applications close October 26 at 23:59 JST. That shelved tool idea finally has a deadline.