The program was co-hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago alongside UWI St. Augustine’s CCL, and funded by the Japan Foundation, Caribbean Gas Chemical Limited (CGCL), and APIC.

There were seven participants this year, all entering the contest at the elementary level. Contestants were asked to choose among the topics of tourism, energy, or environment in Trinidad and Tobago, and to use a power point presentation with photos to complement the speech. Although the contestants were elementary learners, their dedication to learning Japanese was evidenced by their fluent speaking ability.

On the day of the contest, along with CLL members and Japanese Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Yutaka Matsubara, three people, i.e., Ambassador Matsubara’s wife, a CGCL representative, and a representative of Japan Foundation’s Mexico Japan Culture Center joined as the judges of the contestants’ speeches. After the announcement of the winning, Ambassador Matsubara presented her with a gift.

A heightened interest in the Japanese language and Japanese culture was evident as well at this year’s contest. The number of participants was twice the number as the previous year, which will hopefully lead to even more exciting speech contests in the future.