Japanese Speech Contest
for Students in Sweden

Saturday, 27 May 2023, 10:00–17:00,
at Stockholm University, Frescati campus

Welcome as audience!

Grand Prize: Stockholm–Tokyo Flight Mileage

High Prizes: Winners for each category.

The Grand Prize will be awarded to a contestant who have not previously won it.
The mileage may have some restrictions of use during certain periods.

Find your way there

Contest Rules

  1. The contestant must select one of the following themes:
    • Theme 1:日本語を使って伝えたいこと、やりたいこと。
      Example: 日本語のどこかが難しい。日本語を使って伝えたいこと。日本語を使ってやりたいこと。
    • Theme 2:私が思う日本文化と習慣。
      Example: 大好きな日本文化。オンラインで感じた日本の文化。日本に行ったらやりたいこと。体験したい日本の習慣。読んでみたい日本文学。
    • Theme 3:日本とスウェーデン、どこが似ている、どこが違う?
      Example: 日本とスウェーデンの似ているところ、異なるところ。世界の中の日本とスウェーデン。
  2. Contestant qualifications:
    • Full-time students enrolled in a Swedish high school or university.
    • The Japanese language should be neither the contestant's native language nor spoken at home with his/her family members.
  3. Speech time:
    • University students: up to 8 minutes *
    • High school students: up to 5 minutes *
    * Subject to change based on the number of participants.
  4. Evaluation will be based on factors such as contents, Japanese skills and presentation skills.
  5. Other: Bringing a printed speech draft and/or using small non-electronic items to support his/her speech, such as photographs, are allowed.

How to Participate

The application deadline was 21 May 2023.

Please send an email to speech@st.mofa.go.jp, with the following details:

  1. Student category (high school or university).
  2. Name, written in both latin script and katakana.
  3. Age.
  4. Phone number and e-mail address.
  5. Name of your school (and faculty for university students).
  6. A certificate of registration (only for university students).
  7. Length of studying Japanese or length of living in Japan.
  8. Your chosen theme for the speech (among the three themes in the rules above).

Executive Committee of the Japanese Speech Contest for Students in Sweden (EC)

  • Japanese Association in Stockholm
  • Japanese Business Club
  • Stockholm University, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Section of Japanese Language and Culture
  • Former Ambassador of Sweden to Japan
  • Embassy of Japan in Sweden

Program (subject to change)

10:20Registration for contestants
10:40Opening
11:00–12:15    Speeches, part 1
12:15–13:45Lunch *
13:45–15:30Speeches, part 2
15:30–Fika
15:30–15:50Jury Deliberation
16:30Award Ceremony

* The university cafés are probably closed, but you may bring lunch to eat (not in the auditorium).

Ms. Natalie Strömdahl

Comment by Ms. Natalie Strömdahl, Grand Prize Winner of the 2022 Japanese Speech Contest for Students in Sweden

It is often said that a new language is a new life. This is something that I have found to be true when I started learning Japanese. With each new word and phrase that I master, I feel like I have become a stronger person. Simply speaking the language fills me with confidence. I entered the Japanese Speech Contest as a way to learn. My main goal was to improve, and to give a speech that I felt proud of.

I have a rich internal monologue and always love to write about what is on my mind. It was pure joy to write my speech on the subject of Language Learning. I wanted to illustrate that mastering a new language does not have to be a cumbersome task. When comparing the German and Japanese languages, I wove various Japanese idioms into the speech, to drive home my point that even a Speech Contest is a great learning opportunity. I hope that whoever reads this, gets to feel the same way as I have.

When I return to Japan next time, I plan to meet dear friends, to enjoy the beautiful nature, landscape and culture that Japan has to offer, and to continue writing stories about whatever moves me. I find that getting these experiences and being able to capture my thoughts on paper is one of life’s great pleasures. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity enabled by the Japanese Embassy and sponsored by JAPAN AIRLINES.

I strongly encourage all students who have an interest in Japan and the Japanese language to enter the Japanese Speech Contest.

Sponsors

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
APC Ovako Komatsu: Creating value together JFC Norden (Sweden) AB Sweden Style Aimo Park Aimo Share Sumitomo Corporation Senseair AB ANA / Inspiration of JAPAN Tanabe Corporation Tomoku Hus AB Toyota Material Handling Makita Oy
Mitsubishi Corporation Mitsubishi Electric