Japanese Speech Contest ^Featured

Also present were Principals, Parents and students of the five participating Colleges.

In the welcome address by H.E. Numata, he congratulated competitors partaking in the contest and the cooperation efforts strengthening the mutual understanding between Tonga and Japan whereby Tonga has its own Japanese textbook.

“The increasing popularity and learning incentives of Japanese language among young people in Tonga is very important to bridge the cultural connectivity between us that represents our committed efforts to learn from each other,” stated the Ambassador.

Hon. Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva, Prime Minister and Minister for Education and Training in his keynote address acknowledge the ongoing assistance from the Government of Japan towards education. He also applauded the successful cooperation between the Embassy of Japan and the Ministry of Education and Training in facilitating the event.

The awarded winners for the 2016 Japanese Speech Contest were; Ms. Michaela Mapakaitolo from Tonga High School won the Open Category. Michaela also won the nomination to participate in the Japanese Language Program for overseas students this September, in Osaka Japan.

Milika Fifita from Tonga High School won the Form 6 Category; Arial Sanchez from Tonga High School won the Form 5 Category and Tangimotia Havea from ‘Eua High School won the Form 4 Category.

Twenty two competitors competed this year, nine of them travelled from the outer island, from Vava’u and ‘Eua.

Japanese language was first taught in the Kingdom in 1986; to date there is a Japanese language lab the, “Heilala-Sakura Japanese Language Center” administered by Tonga Institute of Education, and six colleges offering Japanese Language as an optional subject.

The Japanese Speech contest is an annual event co-hosted by of the Embassy of Japan and the Ministry of Education and Training, with cooperation from JICA Tonga Office, Japanese Language Teachers’ Association of Tonga and St. Andrew’s School.

Japan Embassy Tonga