Japan Bowl

From August 1st to 5th 2013, Yokohama received the visit of three high school students from Monta Vista High School, California who placed first in the 21st National Japan Bowl. The Japan Bowl is a national Japanese language competition developed and sponsored by The Japan-America Society of Washington DC（外部サイト） since 1992.

Students all over the US form teams of three and compete in this event that tests their achievements in the study of Japanese. But it goes beyond language and also tests students’ knowledge of Japanese culture, history, geography and current events.

Last year, while Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi was in Washington to celebrate the centennial of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and to promote Yokohama as a major stage in Japan-US relations, she paid a visit to the 20th edition of the competition, which was held during the same period. Bridges were built following this, which led to the establishment of a short homestay program for the winners of this year’s Japan Bowl to visit Yokohama.

Julia Liu, Jessica Chen and Erin Dowd were hosted respectively by the families of three students of Yokohama’s Municipal Minato Sohgoh High School, allowing them to exchange, share and deepen mutual understanding.

On the afternoon of the first full day of the program on August 2nd, I took the six students around Yokohama to iconic places representing the strong connection between this city and the US such as the Yokohama Doll Museum, the Port Opening Square or the Yokohama Archives of History. For example, Port Opening Square is important for it is the place where Tokugawa shogunate representative Fukusai Hayashi and US Commodore Matthew Perry signed the Japan-US Treaty of Peace and Amity in 1854 which led to the opening of Japan to the world in 1859. The visit organized by the City of Yokohama concluded with a meeting with Deputy Mayor Takashi Suzuki.

(Photos: The six students involved in the homestay program in pairs, shaking hands at Port Opening Square, the very spot Japan took a step toward internationalization 159 years ago with the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Amity.)

Seeing the younger generations meet and exchange like this in Yokohama makes me hopeful in regard to the future of the exchanges between the US and Japan. After all, those are the people who will bear international relations in the future. Seeing those six so involved makes ones heart beat with confidence that Yokohama, an important stage in the relations between the two countries, will keep on leading as Japan’s gateway to the world.

(Cette page en français)

The Japan-America Society of Washington DC Official Site（外部サイト）