Nihongo Fiesta at SM North

MANILA, Philippines - Music, contests and workshops highlighted the recent Nihongo Fiesta 2013 at the SM City North EDSA.

A joint project of SM City North EDSA with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation Manila, the Nihongo Fiesta is part of the celebration of the 40th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. This year, the event showcases Japanese language, arts and culture through speech contest, quiz bee and musical concerts.

The Nihongo Speech Contest judges are Kunio Aonuma, Japan Foundation Manila Japanese Language Education Adviser; Katsuji Nakagawa, Japanese Association, Inc. Manila president; Maria Christina Magueflor Yaegashi, Yaegashi International, Inc. Cebu GM; Kiyoshi Takeuchi, Manila Bureau Nikkei, Inc. Japan director; Shuji Takatori, Japan Foundation Manila director and Minoru Satake, Nikkei Manila Bureau chief

Other partners include the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, Inc. (JCCIPI), The Japanese Association Manila (JAMI), Japan Overseas Enterprises Association (JOEA), Association of Filipino Nihongo Teachers (AFINITE), Animax, Japan Airlines, UNIQLO, Canon Marketing (Philippines) and Yoshinoya.

This year’s Fiesta presented three exciting activities during the celebration: the 40th Nihongo Speech Contest for professionals, the fifth Quiz Bee (Nihongo) for High School Students and the rock concert of Uchusentai: NOIZ.

In the speech contest, Luigi Miguel Ma of Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku won first place while Karlo Emmanuel Ballescas of Alliance Software, Inc. Cebu was the grand-prize winner. Both received an all-expense-paid study tour to Japan as prize.

The fifth Nihongo Quiz Bee, on the other hand, brings together high school students of the country to challenge their knowledge about the Japanese language and culture. The Makati Science High School was grand champion. City of  Mandaluyong Science High School and the Taguig Science High School, placed second and third, respectively.

The whole-day fiesta culminated with a concert of Uchusentai: NOIZ, a visual kei rock band from Japan.