我孫子市国際交流協会

Date: Sunday, September 30, 2007 1:30pm-4:30pm
Venue: Civic Plaza Hall
Audience: Approx. 60
Judges: Mayor of Abiko, Mr. Junichiro Hoshino
Superintendent, Board of Education, Mr. Toshio Imazeki
President, Chuo Gakuin University, Mr. Ichiro Shiina
Assistant Language Teacher, Mr. Rhys Moses
Assistant Language Teacher, Ms. Christina Tanaka
President, AIRA, Mr. Teruo Okubo

After a welcome address by Mr. T. Okubo, President of AIRA, the contest started.
This year's contest was attended by 15 people, 10 of them in English, and 5 others in Japanese. Ten of them, the majority of all, were junior high students, and the oldest participant was in his 30s. Four males including one non-Japanese, 11 females including 3 non-Japanese.
The speakers expressed their views on international exchange or their future plan, or concerns about the surrounding subjects.　

During the intermediate time after one-and-half hour speech, a mini-concert by a mandlin ensemble " Le Ciel", was performed in the hall. Le Ciel, "the sky" in French, a quartet composed of all women, played several familiar tunes from screen music to the modern popular melodies.
The 30-minutes performance of beautiful sounds fascinated all the audience.

Using an extra time after the mini-concert, the moderators interviewed speakers about their motives to challenge the contest and how they would evaluate their own performance. Interviews were also directed to some listeners on general impression and comments on the speakers.

After fair and rigid deliberations by six judges, the following results and winners names were announced.
1. AIRA President's prize ? Ms. Yuko Iida (in English-E), Ms. Moeko Suyama (in Japanese-J)
2. Mayor's prize ? Ms. Akebi Ito (E), Ms. Liu Ying Jing (J)
3. Board of Education Superintendent's prize ? Ms. Maiko Seita (E), Ms. Yang Yi Lin (J)
4. CGU President's prize ? Mr. Katsuya Kanbayashi (E), Mr. Ken Sarmago (J)
5. ALT's prize ? Ms. Erina Hirakawa (E)
6. Audience prize ? Ms. Yuka Koori (E)
7. Judges special prize ? Mr. Ryou Kano (E), Ms. Ruka Ishii (E), Mr. Kenji Ishihama (E), Ms. Megumi Takada (E), Ms. Yu Cai Yi (J)

Miss Y. Iida, third grader of a junior high school, the AIRA president's prize winner, expressed her view on social manner at the title, "The manner in a country called Japan", as follows.
"Recently I have noticed a sight that a young woman carelessly threw away an empty paper cup onto the street after ate up the contents, and another happening that a young man dropped a small cigarette spark which hit the cheek of a small boy, but still the guy did not notice the incident behind him at all.
These bad manners obviously hurt others not only physically but mentally.
I expect our social environment would become more comfortable one if each person would respect and consider the feelings of others.

Miss Suyama, also a junior high third grader, spoke about the importance of communication in foreign language.
"Since my elementary school days, I have been doing activities as a member of a boy scout. I attended t the World Jamboree held in the U.K his summer as one of member of Japanese delegation.
While I was in the Japanese camp, naturally I felt no difficulty in communicating with others at all. But, once stepped out of the camp, this didn't apply.
I realized that, through the eyes of other jamboree members, I undoubtedly must have looked like a "foreigner".
Day by day, I began to get used to fit myself to the circumstances and to manage to talk to others in plain English.
Now I am confident to lead a sound and responsible life as a member in the international society. And I am sure to do my best to improve myself in English so that I could explain about myself and my country Japan to others with confidence.

After prize presentation and brief comments by prize winners, a general remark was given by Mr. Imazeki, that the most speeches were performed so well that a lengthy discussion was taken for the final judgment.
All the contestants and the judges gathered at the stage for the memorial photographing.
As usual, to cerebrate the end of the successful event, a humble but hearty party was held. The speakers, the judges, guests, audience, and staff enjoyed talking among others for a while.
The big session for this year thus finally came to an end.

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