Students from a Japanese elementary school have created their own virtual graduation ceremony in Minecraft, because the government has closed all schools due to the coronavirus pandemic (via SoraNews24).

It’s sweet, isn’t it? The Japanese school year starts in April and ends in March, so lots of kids are going to miss out on their graduation ceremonies. Not this group, though. The students decided to (re)make their stage and seating in the game, with a red carpet and potted plants along the edges. They’ve also blocked out the word “Summer” in the window behind the stage. “They spent all day online together playing games and laughing. I’m glad they all had fun,” said one father.

「何やってんの？」 「みんなで卒業式をやることにした」

え？すげえ。 小学生が集まって自分たちで卒業式を始めた。 pic.twitter.com/qqk2XnmK6g

— 柏原周平 (@backyennew) March 14, 2020

Expectedly, the kids’ creation got a lot of attention, and people praised their creativity. “This will probably be an even better memory than a regular graduation for them,” one comment read. 

一日中オンラインで集まってゲームをやって笑い転げている。楽しそうで良いねぇ。 pic.twitter.com/sYqoJ1zYaj

Japanese schools will stay shut, and will only resume when spring break is over, to reduce the risk posed to young people and vulnerable individuals. Of the over 180,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus since December 2019, over 80,000 people have recovered from their condition. Though it will take time, the first human trials of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus have begun in the United States. For now, the most effective preventative measures are hand-washing, social distancing, and self-isolation.

会場もすごくよく出来ている。 pic.twitter.com/HKjVCaOmOf