JITCO

On September 21, 2009, the first International Trainees and Technical Interns Japanese Essay Contest was held at Fukuoka Kokusai Hall.  The event, participated in by trainees and technical interns in Kyushu and Yamaguchi, was organized by the Fukuoka Liaison Council of Accepting Organizations for International Trainees with cooperation from the Fukuoka Prefectural Federation of Small Business Associations.

The contest was designed to assist trainees' and technical interns' Japanese skills, thus improving the overall efficiency of their training.  This event marked the first effort from any of the 23 accepting organizations liaison councils in Japan to organize such an event.

On the day, 10 contestants, who were selected from 401 applicants from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Mongolia, delivered heartfelt presentations in fluent Japanese.  The essays were written accounts of what they learned in the workplace, what they enjoyed the most in Japan, and words of appreciation for their mothers in their home country among others.  The essays showed their hard work in practice by not only the contestants themselves, but also their accepting organizations and companies who coordinated the support for this opportunity.  The 200 attendees were deeply impressed with the works by those trainees and interns.

Selection Committee Chairperson Yoshiaki Kawakami, the department chair at Fukuoka University's Commerce Department, remarked, "I am impressed that all essays displayed the writers' intricate insights on their experiences in Japan, as well as the their hopes and intentions for the future."  Five honorable mentions and five incentive awards were selected in the first screening, and the winners were also awarded alongside the ten finalists.  The audience was very excited to witness their achievements.

A reception was held after the contest, and attendees actively exchanged opinions and deepened their friendship.  At the reception, members of Dazaifu Homan Daiko played thunderous Japanese drums, and 15 trainees from Takesue Iron Works demonstrated their morning assembly routine.  Trainees and technical interns were inspired by the entertainment!

Gracious assistance from the government, the affiliate organizations, and sponsor companies supported this essay contest.  The event was covered by the mass media, including Nishinippon Shimbun, Business and Technology Daily News, and RKB Mainichi Broadcasting.  The support and attention made us realize how much interest and the response the contest generated.

The Fukuoka Accepting Organizations Liaison Council has already begun preparing for the second contest next year, hoping to improve both the coordination among participating organizations and the quality of the event to make it even more meaningful.