On Saturday, December 1st, students, alumni, and faculty members gathered at the Mita Public Speaking Hall (Mita Enzetsu-kan) for the 34th Annual Japanese Speech Contest hosted by KOSMIC.

Fifteen international students gave speeches according to the theme for this year: "Japan, Seen from outside and inside".

The contestants all gave great speeches that they had been preparing specially for this contest with their Japanese tutors since October.

With each of the finalists presenting their own unique takes on the theme, the audience was treated to a mixture of humorous anecdotes, heartwarming stories, and shrewd observations covering a variety of topics.

The speech titles and nationalities of the prize winners are as follows:

Advanced Level First Prize
"Japan, Seen from outside and inside” （China）
 Intermediate Level First Prize
“Difficulty in making Japanese friends” （Australia）
 
After the speeches, a behind-the- scenes video was shown to the audience to share the real story behind each contestant. The video included the speaker’s enthusiasm for the speech contest and the message from their Japanese student advisors.

Details of the Event
Date: December 1st, 2018 13:00~16:30
Location: Mita Public Speaking Hall (Mita Enzetsu-kan), Mita Campus,
Number of the Contestants: 13 Students

Host of the Speech Contest
KOSMIC: http://www.ic.keio.ac.jp/intl_student/organization/kosmic.html

＜Photo Gallery＞

Speeches by international students

The audience listening enthusiastically

Award ceremony

The speakers and their Japanese student advisors

The speakers and judges

Photo: K. Sato