On November 29th, 2023, the “2023 Japanese Speech Contest for International Students” was held with the support of NPO Biwako Health and Welfare consortium.

A total of 10 students enrolled in advanced and intermediate 1 and 2 classes participated in the contest, each giving a presentation in Japanese about what they feel in their daily lives in Japan and what they want to convey through their research.

Former President Tadao Baba and Ms. Yoko Akada, Board Chair of Wajinkai, were invited as judges, and four others from the university, including Director Tooyama, for a total of six judges.

As a result of the rigorous judging, the following two students were selected as grand prize winners in their respective classes. The Intermediate 1 class was not ranked due to the small number of speakers, and instead one of the contestants received a prize for participation as a representative of all speakers.

Many professors and students from their departments joined the audience, and international students who had just started learning Japanese also came to watch their friends who live and study together and share the struggle in the lives in different culture.

This contest was a very meaningful opportunity to motivate international students to learn Japanese and to promote international exchange both on and off campus.

～Grand Prize Winners～