Japanese Speech Contest
for Students in Sweden

Find your way there

• Address: Södra husen, hus F, Universitetsvägen 10F
• Hall: Hörsal (auditorium) 11, hus F, plan 3
• Buses: 50, 540, 608, 639, 670 och 676; closest stops are Universitetsvägen, Universitets södra and Universitetet
• Metro: Universitetet (Red line towards Mörby Centrum)
• Train: Universitetet (Roslagsbanan)

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).

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