Junior High Schoolers Get Ready for Prince Takamado English Speech Contest

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:15 JST, July 2, 2024

Junior high school students across Japan are preparing to compete in the 76th H.I.H. Prince Takamado Trophy All Japan Inter-Middle School English Oratorical Contest.

From the tremendous number of those who compete in the prefectural-level preliminary rounds in September and October, 27 students will advance to the national final that takes place in Tokyo on Nov. 29.

Five students each from Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa and Hokkaido prefectures; four each from Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures; and three each from the nation’s other prefectures will advance from the preliminaries to the semifinals, limited to one student per school.

The semifinals will be Nov. 27-28 in Tokyo.

Participants will deliver an original five-minute speech in English on any theme.

The top winner will receive the H.I.H. Prince Takamado Trophy, with the runner-up taking home The Yomiuri Shimbun Trophy. The third-place winner will receive the Japan National Student Association Fund Trophy, and The Japan News Trophy will go to the fourth-place winner. Fifth through seventh place winners will also be awarded trophies.

The schools of the top three speakers will receive a one-year subscription to The Japan News.

The competition is open to all students who are recommended by their school’s principal, with the following exceptions:

—Those who have lived in English-speaking countries or territories after their fifth birthday for a total of one year or more, or continuously for six months or more

— Those who have attended an international school or other schools that provide education in English in subjects other than English language courses for six months or more

— Those who live with a parent or relative who speaks English as their mother tongue at home or are natives of an English-speaking country or territory

— Past first- to third-place winners of the contest

TOSHIN HIGH SCHOOL is a special sponsor of the contest. Additional sponsors include Nippon Television Network Corp., Pentel Co. and World Family K.K.

For more details, call the contest office at (03) 3217-8393, or visit its website at “H.I.H. Prince Takamado Trophy 76th All Japan Inter-Middle School English Oratorical Contest” (English) .