May 11, 2017
Keio University
Keio University will hold the 42nd Shinzo Koizumi Prize National High School Essay Contest. This contest began in 1976 (Showa 51) to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Dr. Shinzo Koizumi, who served as the President of Keio University for over 13 years from 1933 (Showa 8). The contest aims to pass on the character and achievements of Dr. Koizumi—an outstanding researcher, educator, and distinguished writer—to future generations and to contribute to improving the writing and expressive skills of young people.
While a decline in the writing skills of young people has been noted in recent years, this contest calls for long-form essays of 6,000 to 8,000 characters with a clear thesis. Every year, we receive numerous applications from across the country, with many high-quality works submitted. Furthermore, for the first time this year, we are introducing an online application method.
We would be grateful for your help in promoting this contest to high school students, their parents, and teachers, so that we may spread awareness of its purpose and encourage many applications again this year.
Please see below for the full press release.