Houston, TX — March 7, 2026 — The Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) and Consulate-General of Japan in Houston co-hosted the 2026 Texas State Japanese Language Speech Contest.
35 contestants, representing the winners of the Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio regional speech contests gathered at Rice University to demonstrate their Japanese language proficiency through the reciting of poetry and the presentation of original haikus, speeches, and presentations.
This year’s contest theme was Kabuki, and students learned the well-known Japanese phrase 見得を切る (mie o kiru). While it literally means to “strike a pose”, it is now used in everyday Japanese to describe someone speaking or acting with great confidence. Students were encouraged to channel their inner kabuki actor and to embrace their moment on the stage.
All students walked away with participation gifts, including an Ukiyoe sensu and were given opportunities to sample delicious Japanese snacks courtesy of Daido Market and cream puffs courtesy of Beard Papa’s Katy.
Winners of the POETRY DIVISION received Target gift certificates courtesy of the Japanese Teachers Association of Texas (JTAT).
Winners of the HAIKU DIVISION received Kinokuniya Books gift certificates from JASH.
Winners of the H.S. FREE SPEECH AURORA DIVISION received scholarships from the Japanese Association of Greater Houston (JGAH): $500 for 1st Place, $300 for 2nd place, and $200 for 3rd Place.
Winners of the COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY FREE SPEECH DIVISION received scholarships from JASH: $800 for 1st Place, $500 for 2nd Place, $300 for 3rd Place.
Winner of the OPEN DIVISION received a $500 Flightgift gift certificate for use on ZipAir.
It is JASH’s hope that the Contest will continue to inspire and motivate students to excel in their Japanese studies.
Please meet the 2026 Contest winners and supporters (photographs to come):
Participation & Division Breakdown
This year, thirty-five (35) contestants gathered to compete across five divisions:
(i) Division 1 – Poetry Recitation
(ii) Division 2 – Haiku Presentation
(iii) Division 3 – Free Speech High School Aurora
(iv) Division 4 – College/University Presentation
(v) Division 5 – Free Speech Open
8 students competed in the Poetry Recitation division, performing TANIKAWA Shuntaro’s “Morning Relay” (朝のリレー) with careful memorization, pronunciation accuracy, and expressive delivery.
8 students competed in the Haiku division, reciting classic seasonal haiku before presenting original works inspired by traditional poetic forms.
7 students competed in the Free Speech High School Aurora division, delivering original speeches and responding to judges’ questions in Japanese.
8 students competed in the advanced College/University Presentation division, presenting original research and cultural analyses accompanied by slides and engaging in thoughtful Q&A sessions.
4 students competed in the advanced Free Speech Open division, delivering original speeches and responding to judges’ questions in Japanese.
Original speeches and presentations reflected an impressive range of interests and perspectives. Topics included the banned episode of Ultraseven, public health comparisons between Japan and the United States, linguistics, kendo, multilingual identity, fashion and TPO, music, and zen aesthetics.
Throughout the afternoon, students demonstrated not only strong language skills, but also creativity, intellectual curiosity, and poise.
POETRY DIVISION WINNERS
| 1st Place | Aubrey LEAL Johnson H.S. San Antonio Region |
|
| 2nd Place | Tasnim SHAMIM Richardson H.S. Dallas Region |
|
| 3rd Place | Chanyoo JUNG Johnson H.S. San Antonio Region |
HAIKU DIVISION WINNERS
| 1st Place | Henry GRAY Richardson H.S. Dallas Region |
|
| 2nd Place | Corinne WENDELL LASA H.S. Austin Region |
|
| 3rd Place | William COOK Johnson H.S. San Antonio Region |
H.S. FREE SPEECH AURORA DIVISION WINNERS
| 1st Place | Onyoo JUNG "A World Opened Through Languages" Johnson H.S. San Antonio Region |
|
| 2nd Place | Ike FALLIN "Ki Ken Tai no Icchi as a Way of Life" Richardson H.S. Dallas Region | |
| 3rd Place | Aayan MITHANI "The Journey of a Multilingual Speaker" Richardson H.S. Dallas Region |
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY PRESENTATION DIVISION WINNERS
| 1st Place | Alexander THOMPSON "The Banned Episode of Ultraseven" University of Texas at Austin Austin Region |
|
| 2nd Place | Noe BAKER "Invisible Barriers in Healthcare" Baylor University Dallas Region | |
| 3rd Place | Emma DUNN "Everyday Health" Texas A&M University Houston Region |
OPEN DIVISION WINNER
| 1st Place | Noah MATSUBARA "Harmony Beyond the Dissonance: Finding Self Honesty Through Music" Dallas Region |
