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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Of the 70,000 American high school students learning Japanese today, some of the very best and brightest will gather at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland on Thursday and Friday, April 12-13, 2018 for the 26th National Japan Bowl.

The Japan Bowl® is a national Japanese language competition developed and sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC (JASWDC) since 1992. However, the Japan Bowl goes beyond language. It also tests students’ knowledge of Japanese culture, history, geography, and current events. This year’s National Japan Bowl will draw about 200 students, plus teachers and family members, from almost 30 high schools across the United States, from Guam to New York. The popularity and reputation of the Japan Bowl has even spread internationally, and Japan Bowls have been held in Canada, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, the United Kingdom, and Kyoto, Japan.

The Japan-America Society organizes the Japan Bowl to recognize and encourage students across the United States who have chosen Japanese as their foreign language. For the students, the Japan Bowl is not just a challenging and fun competition. It also provides a chance to experience Japanese culture firsthand and to meet other students who share their interest in Japan and its language.

Sample Questions

Q2: What is the origin of the word “karaoke”? Answer in English.
AN: empty/without orchestra

Q1: There are statues of dogs at the entrance to Shinto shrines all over Japan. What are those statues called in Japanese?
AN: Komainu

Event Summary

Students are divided into three levels, based on how long they have studied Japanese. Each school sends a team of three students to compete at each level. Each team tackles 90 questions and an oral Japanese interview during the preliminary rounds, which last over two days. Then, on Friday afternoon, the top three teams at each level face off onstage in the National Championship Round, in a setting similar to the famed television show, “It’s Academic.”

About the Japan-America Society

The Japan-America Society of Washington DC is a 501(c)(3) educational and cultural non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Japan and the U.S. at the grassroots public diplomacy level. Our programming aims to bring Japanese and American people closer together in the Nation’s Capital area.

Press Contacts

Media inquiries should be addressed to Nancy Marsden at the Japan-America Society at (202) 833-2210 or [email protected].