Media Release

Sydney, 19 October 2004

The 35th Annual Australian National Final Japanese Language Speech Contest

The 35th Annual Australian National Final Japanese Language Speech Contest was held in Sydney on Sunday 17 October 2004. The contests are conducted each year by the Japan Foundation, Sydney, in cooperation with the Consulate-General of Japan, Sydney.

The contest was officially opened by Minister-Counsellor from the Embassy of Japan, Mr Kazuho Kawamata, who encouraged the speakers to persevere with their studies of Japanese.

Eighteen young learners of Japanese presented speeches in four categories: High School Senior Division (high school years 11-12), Open Beginner Division, Open Division and Background Speaker Division. Contestants in the Open Beginner and Open Divisions study Japanese either at tertiary level or independently, but not as high school students. Contestants in the Background Speaker Division have at least one parent who is a native speaker of Japanese, although they may be studying Japanese as a second language. Each contestant was the first place winner in their division of the state and territory Japanese Language Speech Contests, conducted earlier in the year.

Speech topics ranged from the speakers' experiences of their time in Japan to their perceptions of the problems facing the world today. Some speeches set a humorous tone, tackling subjects such as job hunting in a foreign language, or the tendency of Japanese commuters to fall asleep on the train.

Certificates were awarded to all speakers, and prizes to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each division. Special prizes were also awarded in each division. Prizes were donated by the contest's sponsors, and included return air travel to Japan from Japan Airlines, 7 day rail passes from Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai), CD players and cameras from Canon Australia and Sony Australia, travel bags and shoe bags from Asics Tiger Oceania, and book prizes from the Australia Japan Foundation and Heinemann Harcourt Education.

Media Enquiries:

Nanayo Kato-Wilder
Chief Program Coordinator
Tel. (02) 8239 0080
Nanayo_Kato-Wilder@jpf.org.au

List of Sponsors

Japan Airlines
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai)
Australia Japan Foundation
Canon Australia
Asics Tiger Oceania
Sony Australia
Heinemann Harcourt Education

List of Judges

Chief Judge: Prof Hugh Clarke, Japanese Lecturer, University of Sydney (NSW)
Other judges: Dr Robyn Spence-Brown, Japanese Lecturer, Monash University (Vic) Ms Haruko Asakura, Japanese Lecturer, Australian Catholic University (NSW) Mr Kazuhiro Yagi, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan (ACT) Ms Himiko Negishi-Wood, Language Consultant, the Japan Foundation Sydney

List of Guests

Mr Kazuho Kawamata, Minister-Counsellor, Embassy of Japan
Mr Yasuaki Nogawa, Consul-General, Consulate-General of Japan Sydney
Ms Tomoko Inujima, Vice-Consul, Consulate-General of Japan Sydney
Mr Kunio Hashimoto, Vice President and Regional Manager Australia, Japan Airlines
Ms Lesley Edwards, Australian Public Relations Manager, Japan Airlines
Mr Takeshi Inagawa, General Manager, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai)
Mr Shinji Matsuda, Manager Purchasing Division, Asics Tiger Oceania
Mr Akira Endo, Assistant General Manager Business Solutions Division, Sony Australia
Mr Yukihiro Kawakami, Director, Kinokuniya Bookstores of Australia

List of Prize-winners by Division

High School Senior Division:
1st Prize Amy Hilhorst (WA)
2nd Prize Cherry Liang (NSW)
3rd Prize Kei Kim (ACT)
Special Prize Min-Chul Kim (SA)
Special Prize Kim Lam (Vic)
Open Beginner Division:
1st Prize Alexander Blackhall (Vic)
2nd Prize Kyong Ju Min (WA)
3rd Prize Yun Yi Lee (NSW)
Open Division:
1st Prize Lee Ling Tay (WA)
2nd Prize Clement Onn (Qld)
3rd Prize Chloe Keeble (NSW)
Special Prize Rosa Jang (ACT)
Background Speaker Division:
1st Prize Joji Tanaka (NT)
2nd Prize Asagi Murayama (WA)