The 9th Japanese Language Speech Contest

2016/3/12
Mr. Mikio Mori, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan, giving his opening address
Amb.  Dennis Awori, Chairman of KEPSA, Former Ambassador of Kenya to Japan, giving his opening address
The 9th Japanese Language Speech Contest was held at the Embassy of Japan on Saturday, 12th March 2016. The speech contest attracted about 170 participants among them 15 Japanese language speech contestants.
 
The contest was organized by the Japan Information and Culture Centre (JICC), the Japan Foundation (JF) and the Japanese Language Teachers Association of Kenya (JALTAK).
 
Sponsors of the contest included Marubeni Corporation (general trading company), Toyota Kenya Ltd (sole distributor of Toyota cars),H.I.S Kenya Ltd. (travel agency), Panafricamed Ltd (Valdivia), Rohto Mentholatum (Kenya) Ltd (healthcare), Mitsui and Co. Ltd (general trading company), Toridoll Kenya Ltd (Teriyaki Japan) and Excia East Africa Ltd (second hand vehicles dealer).
 
The Japanese Language Speech Contest was officially opened by the Embassy of Japan’s, Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Mikio Mori and Amb. Dennis Awori, Chairman of KEPSA and a former Ambassador of Kenya to Japan.
One of the participants of the speech contest delivering his speech in Japanese
Students from Archiver Academy School performing Japanese song ‘Shiawase nara tewotatakou’
After the contest, a Japanese teacher from Embu County gave a model speech. While the judges deliberated over which contestant deserved to win the speech contest, Ms. Nzomo, who was a winner of the last year’s speech contest and had visited Japan through the Japan Foundation's Japanese Language Program for Overseas Students, made a presentation about her experience in Japan. After her presentation, students from Archiver Academy entertained the crowd with a Japanese song.
A cross section of the audience
Ms. Ruth Gathoni Mwaniki, winner of the 9th Japanese Language Speech Contest receiving a prize from one of the sponsors from Marubeni Corporation
Group photo of the participants of the 9th Japanese Language Speech Contest
Winners of the contest were announced and the event was finally declared closed by Mr. Katsuji Nakamura, Chairperson of JALTAK Kenya. This year, the winner of Japanese speech contest was Ms. Ruth Gathoni Mwaniki, former student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.