2014.12.15
Kaori Chiba, a second-year student at the Faculty of Policy Management, participated as the representative of Kanagawa Prefecture in the 59th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Cup All Japan Youth Oratorical Contest and won the Grand Prize. She also received the Japan Oratorical Association President's Award, the Japan Oratorical Association Honorary President's Award, the Mayor of Nagoya Award, the Aichi Prefectural Assembly Chairman's Award, and the Chunichi Shimbun Award.
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Cup All Japan Youth Oratorical Contest is a historic event with a history of over half a century, dating back to 1956. It is an oratorical contest in Japanese where people aged 15 to under 40, including junior high school students, high school students, university students, and working adults, gather from all over the country. This year's 59th contest was held on November 8–9 at Chukyo University in Nagoya City, where passionate speeches were delivered on the theme "Twenty Years Later."
Ms. Chiba also won the Excellence Award (second place) at the 58th contest last year, and her result this year surpassed that achievement.
Furthermore, on November 15, she won the Excellence Award (second place) at the 12th Ozaki Yukio (Gakudo) Cup Public Speaking Contest. The Ozaki Yukio (Gakudo) Cup Public Speaking Contest has been held since 2003 in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, the birthplace of Ozaki Yukio. It carries on the spirit of Ozaki, who delivered era-defining speeches aiming to realize modern Japanese parliamentary politics during the turbulent and chaotic times of the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods.
The 12th contest was held under the theme "The Path Japan Should Take," inviting submissions from young people under the age of 40 on topics such as welfare, education and culture, economy and industry, diplomacy and international exchange, and environment and energy.
Comment from Kaori Chiba
The Matsumoto sarin attack occurred twenty years ago, in 1994. Mr. Yoshiyuki Kono, who was falsely suspected of the crime until the real perpetrators were found, gave a lecture in one of my university classes. Centering on his experience, my speech addressed "the causes of damage from media coverage," such as misinformation. On the other hand, it also focused on "the potential of media coverage," given that some reporting helped save him. I discussed how the mass media should disseminate information in the future and how information recipients should engage with the news.
In the oratorical and public speaking contests I participated in, competitors are scored on the "logic" and "expression" of their seven-minute speeches. I have been practicing oratory since my first year of high school, and I am very happy that this is my third victory at a national competition. I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who supported me, from drafting my manuscript to practicing my public speaking.