Japan Bowl

From August 1st to 5th 2013, Yokohama received the visit of three high school students from Monta Vista High School, California who placed first in the 21st National Japan Bowl. El Cuenco de Japón es una competición del idioma japonesa nacional desarrollada y patrocinó por La Sociedad de Japón-América de Washington DC (el sitio externo) desde 1992.

Students all over the US form teams of three and compete in this event that tests their achievements in the study of Japanese. Pero excede el idioma y también prueba el conocimiento de estudiantes de cultura japonesa, historia, geografía y eventos actuales.

Last year, while Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi was in Washington to celebrate the centennial of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and to promote Yokohama as a major stage in Japan-US relations, she paid a visit to the 20th edition of the competition, which was held during the same period. Se construyeron puentes esto que llevó al establecimiento de un programa del homestay corto para los ganadores del Cuenco de Japón de este año para visitar Yokohama al partidario.

Julia Liu, Jessica Chen y Erin Dowd fueron organizados respectivamente por las familias de tres estudiantes del Minato Sohgoh Municipal de Yokohama Escuela secundaria, mientras permitiéndoles intercambiar, porción y ahonda la comprensión mutua.

On the afternoon of the first full day of the program on August 2nd, I took the six students around Yokohama to iconic places representing the strong connection between this city and the US such as the Yokohama Doll Museum, the Port Opening Square or the Yokohama Archives of History. For example, Port Opening Square is important for it is the place where Tokugawa shogunate representative Fukusai Hayashi and US Commodore Matthew Perry signed the Japan-US Treaty of Peace and Amity in 1854 which led to the opening of Japan to the world in 1859. The visit organized by the City of Yokohama concluded with a meeting with Deputy Mayor Takashi Suzuki.

(Photos: The six students involved in the homestay program in pairs, shaking hands at Port Opening Square, the very spot Japan took a step toward internationalization 159 years ago with the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Amity.)

Seeing the younger generations meet and exchange like this in Yokohama makes me hopeful in regard to the future of the exchanges between the US and Japan. After all, those are the people who will bear international relations in the future. Viendo esos seis tan involucrado hace el latido del corazón a unos con confianza que Yokohama, una fase importante en las relaciones entre los dos países, seguirá llevando como la entrada de Japón al mundo.

(Cette compaginan el français del en)

La Sociedad de Japón-América de Washington DC el Sitio Oficial (el sitio externo)