The Aurora Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation will host the 20th National Japanese Speech Contest on Sunday, May 26, starting at 1 p.m. at the Japan Foundation Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles.
Ten American high school students who have won regional contests across the country will participate, showcasing their Japanese language skills.
The purpose of this contest is to provide American high school students with a platform to deliver speeches in Japanese at a national level, promoting mutual learning and enhancing their motivation to study Japanese. Additionally, it aims to deepen understanding of Japanese culture and promote international exchange through the Japanese language.
Until 2019, this contest was held at UC Irvine. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been held online since 2020. This year, under the new board of the Aurora Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation, the contest will once again be held in-person.
Each participant will deliver a five-minute speech, followed by a Q&A session with the judges. The winner will qualify for participation in an international competition.
The contestants and their topics are:
• Jack Ader, Riverdale Country School, Bronx, N.Y., 12th Grade. “My Experience with Japanese ‘Wa’”「僕の「和」の経験」
• Ian Anthony Barker, Richardson High School, Richardson, Texas, 11th Grade. “The Effectiveness of Propaganda in Media” 「メディアにおけるプロパガンダの効果」 /
• Conrad DeBeer, San Dieguito High School Academy, Encinitas, Calif., 11th Grade. “A Brief History of Queerness in Japan”「日本のLGBTQの簡潔な歴史」
• Leena Edais, Dimond High School, Anchorage, Alaska, 12th Grade. “My Journey Learning Japanese”「私の日本語学習の旅」
• Jayda Fountain, Curtis Senior High School, University Place, Wash., 11th Grade. “My First Japanese Trip”「初めての日本の旅行」
• Casey Jones, Salinas High School, Salinas, Calif., 12th Grade. “The Beauty of Silence”「沈黙の美しさ」
• Clive Benedict Mendoza, Northside College Preparatory High School, Chicago, 12th Grade. “How to Improve Chicago’s Urban Planning ~ Embrace Humanity”「シカゴの都市計画を改善する方法〜人間性を受け入れ」
• Zenith Prem Shankar, Beaverton High School, Beaverton, Ore,, 11th Grade. “How Sports and Learning Languages Can Improve the World”「スポーツと言語学習が世界をよりよくする理由」
• Max Sobel, Saint Ann’s School, Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., 12th Grade. “To Become a Beginner”「初心者になる」
• Lauren Tippin, Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School, Boerne, Texas, 12th Grade. “My Experience in Japan”「日本での経験」
The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP in advance through the Aurora Foundation’s website: www.jlsf-aurora.org/jpn/page/speech-rsvp.