Drama teacher Denise Walsh said many of the schools from Europe and North America would have expensive costumes and props for their plays in the Japanese festival.
However, Logan Park High School's play was about taking care of the planet and paper, cloth sheets and supermarket plastic bags had been used to create costumes and props.
"We can't afford to keep up with [northern hemisphere] schools, but we think the message and the acting is more important."
Their play was about taking care of the planet and if young people took the right steps towards recycling, it would make "a huge difference" to everyones' quality of life, she said.
The school was invited to the prestigious festival after winning the Best South Island Youth Play Award at a recent New Zealand Theatre Federation Festival.
The federation recommended Logan Park for the festival and the school was one of 60 invited to send audition DVDs.
Mrs Walsh was also invited to be an adjudicator and adviser for the event.
"It's a high honour.
It's good that New Zealand is being acknowledged as having something to offer in drama.
We're thrilled," she said.
Mrs Walsh said the school had built up a reputation with the festival organisers as being of a high standard and this year was the fourth time it had been invited to perform.
The pupils and two teachers leave for the festival today and will spend two weeks in Japan.
