2013.12.09
Kaori Chiba, a first-year student at the Faculty of Policy Management, competed as an individual representing Kanagawa Prefecture in the General Division of the 58th MEXT Minister's Cup All Japan Youth Oratorical Contest, winning an impressive 2nd place (Excellence Award).
The MEXT Minister's Cup All Japan Youth Oratorical Contest, hosted by the Japan Oratorical Federation, is a Japanese-language speech contest where people aged 15 to under 40, including junior high school, high school, and university students, as well as working adults, gather from all over Japan to compete. It is a historic contest that has been held since 1956. This year, the 58th contest was held on November 22–23 in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Speech Theme and Evaluation Points from Kaori Chiba
I delivered a speech based on my experience from an internship in a slum in the Philippines this past September, discussing the nature of life and what we should do. In addition to the content of my speech (out of 60 points), I was also able to fully leverage my strength in delivery (out of 40 points).
Comment from Kaori Chiba
I have been involved in speech contests since high school, and this is my fourth year. I am very grateful to have received 2nd place in such a major contest. At the same time, it was a contest that revealed areas for improvement and clarified my future challenges. I definitely want to challenge myself again next year. I will continue to pursue the art of "communication."