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Speech Contest
  24th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest in Chicago Application Forms
  Download Application [pdf]
Official Draft Form [pdf]

 

 

SPEECH CONTEST
 
 
Each year since 1987, the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago sponsors a Japanese language speech contest to promote the study of Japanese in the Midwest. The contest is held in the auditorium of the Japan Information Center on the last Saturday in March.
 
24th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest in Chicago (2010)
 
Date & Time: Saturday March 6, 2010, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Application Deadline: APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 1, 2010. Please note that all applications must arrive in the Japan Information Center by February 1, 2010, regardless of the postmark date.
Place: Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan at Chicago
737 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1000
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Purpose: To promote the study of Japanese language in the Midwest and deepen the mutual
understanding and friendship between Japan and the United States.
Sponsors:

The Consulate General of Japan at Chicago
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago
The Japan America Society of Chicago
City of Osaka Chicago Office
The Chicago Sister Cities International Program Osaka Committee

Subject: Any topic is acceptable
Categories: Contestants will be divided into one of the following four categories:
I. Elementary & Junior High School Students
  II. High School Students with less than three years of Japanese
  III. High School students with three or more years of Japanese
    College Students & Adults with less than one year of Japanese
  IV. College Students & Adults with more than one year of Japanese
Eligibility: This contest is open to all individuals who reside in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin and have not:
I. lived in Japan for two or more years in total since 2000
  II. come from homes where Japanese has been spoken regularly
  III. participated twice in the same category of this contest in the past
Judging Criteria: Content, Organization, Language, Delivery, and Memorization
Grand Prize: Round Trip Airline Ticket to Japan
Donations: TBA
 
Results of 23rd Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest (2009)
 

The Japan Information Center held its 23rd Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest on Saturday, March 21, 2009. 39 speakers spoke before a packed auditorium full of anxious parents, teachers, siblings, and fellow speakers.

Opening
Sean Honesty
Judges
Consul General Hisaeda's Opening Remarks
First Place Winner in the First Category Sean Honesty
The Judging Panel

Following are the results of the contest. In addition to the prizes listed below, each participant received a printed certificate donated by Mayo Graphic Arts.

 
Grand Prize - Round-trip ticket to Japan
Donated by Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.
  Seung Ho Lee, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cultural Difference and the True Meaning of Globalization
 
Chicago Osaka Sister City Special Award - Round-trip ticket to Osaka & 1-week home stay in Osaka
 Donated by the City of Osaka Chicago Office and the Chicago Sister Cities International Program Osaka Committee
  Brandon Roberts, Depauw University
A Future Decided by Exams
 

First Prize -

  • Digital Camera, Donated by Canon USA, Inc. (Category 4)
  • Mitsuwa Gift Certificate, Donated by Pasona MIC (Category 3)
  • Sanseido Bookstoer Gift Certificate, Donated by NYK Line (Cateogry 2)
  • Flip Video Camcorder, Donated by the Japan Information Center (Category 1)
    		•
    Category 1 Sean Honesty, Thomas Dooley Elementary School
    Tuna sushi
    Category 2 Sukanya Momsen, Armstrong H.S.
    Religious Peace
    Category 3 Yungee Park, Kansas State University
    A Boy Who Became an Eel
    Category 4 Melinda Sarnicki, University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Kelsie
     
    Second Prize - Karada Body Scan Machine
    Donated by Omron Corp.
    Category 1 Susan Zhao, Andrew Jackson Language Academy
    My Real Self
    Category 2 Raphael-Joel Lim, Indiana Academy
    At the Top of a Hill
    Category 3 Jing Zhu, University of Wisconsin-Madison
    The Important Thing of University Life
    Category 4 Jonathan Clark, Washington University in St. Louis
    Japanese Influence in Hawaii
     
    Third Prize - $50 American Express Gift Certificate
    Donated by Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
    Category 1 Kijel Grant, Langston Hughes Elementary School
    War
    Category 2 Karen Youk, Glenbrook South H.S.
    Through Meeting with Kana-chan
    Category 3 Rachel Anderson Rynders, University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Best Friend
    Category 4 Alaina Werkhoven, University of Wisconsin-Madison
    About Chemical Dependency
     
    Bonjinsha Award - Japanese Language Books
    Donated by Bonjinsha Publishing
    Category 1 Kika Arias, Tanoshii Nihongo Class
    Doraemon Comic
    Category 2 Devon Lynne Francis, Indiana Academy
    My Definition of Family
    Category 3 Emma Clark, Home-schooled
    Home School
    Category 4 Young Kyung Lee, Washington University in St. Louis
    The Unfriendly Japanese
     
    JASC Award - Japanese Books (CategoryⅠ.Ⅱ.Ⅲ), Japanese Books and 1-year-membership (category Ⅳ) donated by JASC
    Category 1 Rhayven White, Montessori Language Academy
    Max Brownie White
    Category 2 Zach Korol-Gold, University Laboratory H.S.
    My Ancestor's Story
    Category 3 Vaishnavi Giridaran, University Laboratory H.S.
    Changing Values
    Category 4 Hong Gyun Kim, University of Chicago
    Anime: From a Fan to a Fansubber
     
    Japan Forum Award - Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
    Donated by the Japan Forum
      Eliot Chang, Thomas Dooley Elementary School
    Three Countries
     
    Chicago Shimpo Award - One year subscription to the Chicago Shimpo Newspaper
    Donated by Chicago Shimpo
      Carla Arredondo, Menomonee Falls H.S.
    Why I am as I am
      Tara Willett, University of Kansas
    Culture Through Apple's iPod
     
    Japan Foundation Award - Japanese/English Dictionaries
    Donated by Japan Foundation Los Angeles Office
    Category 1 Maxim Sigalov, University Laboratory H.S.
    My Life and Japan
    Category 2 Charlie Wilhelm, Grinnell H.S.
    My Hometown
    Category 3 Tony Perrin, Highland H.S.
    Ringo's Song
    Category 4 May Tran, University of Chicago
    Disability and Me: Regrets of the Past
     
    Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese (IATJ) Award - Assorted Items from Japan
    Donated by the Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese
      Meghna Kuriakos, Montessori Language Academy
    India and I
      Peter Podlipni, Northside College Preparatory H.S.
    Among Different Cultures
     
    Kokuyo Award - Assorted Items
    Donated by Kokuyo USA
      Erika Arias, Tanoshii Nihongo Class
    The World's Christmas
      Kyle Morimoto, Thomas Dooley Elementary School
    Karate
      John Caputo, Glenbrook South H.S.
    What the Clarinet Has Taught Me
      Brian Phetmeuangmay, Streamwood H.S.
    This is My Life
      Chris Zamora, Lakeview H.S.
    My Life
      Kim Scaler, Kansas State University
    Irreplaceable Memories
      Jose Ortiz, Carthage College
    I Want to Tell the World About Japan
     

    Hyo Jung Shim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Negative Effects of Tobacco Vending Machines