J.LIVE Talk 2024 Report

On November 3, the annual J.LIVE Talk (Japanese-Learning Inspired Vision and Engagement) was held in the Amphitheater of George Washington University. Fifteen exceptional finalists from three college and two high school divisions traveled to Washington D.C. to deliver their presentations before a live audience and a distinguished panel of judges: Mr. Fumito Miyake, Minister of Public Relations of the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Yoichi Mihara, Principal of Washington Japanese Language School, Mr. Kiyoshi Tanigawa, Executive Director of Keidanren USA, and Japan Commerce Association of Washington DC, Japanese Language Education Support, Ms. Arimi Yamada, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Partner, and Japan Commerce Association of Washington DC, Japanese Language Education Support, and Mr. Yo Azama, Lead Instructional Coach and World Language Curriculum Specialist in Salinas Union High School District, California.

The universities represented at the final round were Baylor University (TX), Georgetown University (DC), George Washington University (DC), University of North Carolina at Charlotte (NC), University of Virginia (VA), and Yale University (CT). The high schools represented were: Hayfield Secondary School (VA), Tamiscal High School (CA), Stevenson School (CA). The high schools represented in the Group video division were: Stevenson School (CA), Bellaire High School (TX), and Ocean Lakes High School (VA).

The results are as follows:

J.LIVE Talk 2024 Result of High School Individual Division

J.LIVE Talk 2024 Result of College Division

Gold, Silver, and Bronze award winners in the college categories will receive supplementary cash prizes of $300, $200, and $100 respectively. The Gold Award winner of College Category III, Santiago Ravello, will also receive a scholarship for an intensive six-week language program, along with a stipend and housing subsidy of $2,500. The Gold Award Winner in College Category II, Jungtaek Hong, will receive a scholarship to the Naganuma School in Tokyo for an intensive eight-week language program at Nanzan University in Nagoya, along with a stipend and housing subsidy of $3,000. The Gold Award Winner in College Category I, Jessica Tang, will receive a scholarship for an intensive summer language course at International Christian University in Tokyo, along with a stipend and housing subsidy of $2,500.

The theme for the High School Group Division was “What can we do to serve our community?”; the winning high schools are as follows:

J.LIVE Talk 2024 Result of High School Group Video Division

Gold Award

Stevenson School (CA): https://youtu.be/UB4YcCSQCLA?feature=shared

Silver Award

Bellaire High School (TX): https://youtu.be/ZoWYUp5q1kE?si=Q4GIbtI2a2kofOyn

Bronze Award

Ocean Lakes High School (VA): https://youtu.be/OaU_BbaHuTg?si=51mHSRqTnIUKhnhP

J.LIVE Talk serves as a platform to celebrate the unique perspectives of Japanese language learners. This year’s program has reaffirmed our belief that learning a language and its culture not only equips individuals with language skills but also enriches their perspectives and inspires ideas worth sharing. The finalists delivered passionate and insightful presentations, filling the audience with wonder and inspiration.

Among the guest speakers were two of the previous J.LIVE Talk awardees: 2023 College Category I Gold Award winner, Ms. Carlee Foster, and 2023 College Category III Silver Award winner, Mr. Andrew Brooks. They shared their own experiences and encouraged the finalists to embrace their journey with confidence and authenticity. Their empowering speeches were very well-received.

“Events like this remind us of the true value of learning diverse languages and cultures in today’s world of advanced AI and technology.” said Prof. Yoshiko Mori of Georgetown University, President of American Association of Teachers of Japanese, in her closing remark. “Learning another language and culture goes beyond mere translation; it’s about creating new knowledge, deepening our insights, and expressing our thoughts in ways that others can truly understand. It involves shaping our messages, clarifying them, and finding the most effective ways to communicate across different cultures.”

Ms. Kyoko Vaughan, a teacher at Hayfield High School, whose students won the Gold Award in both high school categories, has focused her guidance on precisely this point. “The greatest advantage of participating in J.LIVE Talk is that each participant has a valuable opportunity not only to improve their language skills but also to hone their overall communication abilities—focusing on what they want to convey and how to effectively communicate it to an audience.”

Ms. Vaughan said she organized an in-house J.LIVE Talk session in her AP class, inviting Japanese guests to simulate the actual event, and had students review their video recordings to identify areas for improvement. “By participating in J.LIVE Talk, not only did the finalists improve, but those who did not reach the finals also worked hard and showed growth in various skills. Beyond that, it was truly gratifying to see students engage in self-reflection and grow as individuals,” she said.

Mr. Josh Browder of Baylor University, who won Category II Silver Award said, “J.LIVE was a fantastic experience. I think not only just being there and giving the presentation, but also the experience preparing my application, my final semifinalist speech, and my finalist speech was a good process of self-discovery and really thinking about my life and how I wanted to, what I wanted to express, and how I wanted to express it in Japanese. Hearing messages from people from around the country, with different backgrounds and different language experiences in Japanese, was really impactful.”

Mr. Azama, who served as a judge, shared the following message: "I believe organizing an event like this is very challenging, but its impact is significant. In some places, the number of Japanese language learners is declining, so the value of events like this is high."

In addition, we received invaluable support from the local community and Japanese businesses to showcase traditional, as well as contemporary Japanese culture in the booth exhibit, which was a great success, adding even more excitement to the event.

American Association of Teachers of Japanese
Dr. Nobuaki Takahashi (ink painting)
GW Anime Society
GW Japanese Cultural Association
GW Japanese Student Union
Hana Market
Kinokuniya USA
Matcha Time Gift Shop
Mid-Atlantic Association of Teachers of Japanese
Study Japanese in Arlington
Tokiya Japan

J.LIVE Talk is made possible with the following sponsor organizations.

J.LIVE Talk 2024 was the 10th event, but in 2025, J.LIVE Talk will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary. We will look forward to your participation in this milestone event next year!