We are delighted to announce that the 21st Japanese Speech Contest for University Students Finals Day will be held on Saturday 7th March 2026 at King's College London. 

The contest is co-organised by the British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (BATJ) and The Japan Foundation, London. It has been held annually since 2006, in order to give university students learning Japanese in the UK and Ireland a chance to demonstrate their Japanese speaking skills.

On the Finals Day, finalists will give their speeches and presentations, entirely in Japanese, to an audience consisting of members of the public, fellow students, teachers, families, key figures from the UK-Japan community and a panel of judges. In this year’s speeches and presentations, finalists will talk about various themes, including genjitsu tōhi (escapism), ichi-go- ichi-e (a Japanese idiom which translates to “once in a life time”), and social diversity.

Come along and listen to what university students studying Japanese in the UK and Ireland have to say. Everyone is welcome! This event is free to attend, but prior registration is required. The registration deadline is Wednesday, 4th March 2026 at 1pm.

Title: The 21st Japanese Speech Contest for University Students, Finals Day

Date & Time: Saturday, 7th March 2026   1pm – 6pm (TBC)

Venue: the Auditorium at Bush House, King’s College London (Strand Campus, 30 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BG)

* Please note that the venue is different to previous years. The auditorium is in a different building than the recent venue.

Maximum capacity: 150 people (spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended)

Fee: Free to attend but prior booking is required.

Language: Speeches and presentations will be given in Japanese. Speech summaries and abstracts of presentations will be made available in English.

Deadline for Registration: Wednesday, 4th March 2026 at 1pm (GMT)

Download the event poster

Book here

Enquiries: speechcontest@jpf.go.jp

Organisers: The British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (BATJ) and The Japan Foundation, London

This event is supported by (in alphabetical order): British Association for Japanese Studies (BAJS), Central Japan Railway Company, Clearspring, Eikoku News Digest Ltd, E’quipe Japan, Ltd., The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Japan Airlines, Japan Association in the UK, Japan Centre, JP BOOKS, NIHON SHOKKEN HOLDINGS CO.,LTD, Nikkei Europe Limited, Ningyocho IMAHAN, Regions, Ricoh UK Limited