Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I think it’s still correct to say ladies and gentlemen because some people say that in this age of gender equality I shouldn’t be saying this. But I’m not used to saying things like Mx, what is it? I mean Mister, Missus and Miss I can handle. Beyond that it’s a bit beyond me. So, I will keep saying ladies and gentlemen for the moment. Next year I may change.
Well, LGBT was one of the issues taken up in the course of today’s presentations. I think it was very opportune that we did that. For people in my generation it is something new and something that we have to think about. I was ambassador to Canada about 12 years ago. The seriousness with which this issue was faced in Canada was very different from ours. But perhaps the awareness is sinking down among the population these days. I think today’s presentations were reflective of this general recognition of the importance of the issue. And, I must say for people like me there was a lot that we could learn. So, we enjoyed the presentations.
Food safety or food waste, again it’s another very important topic that we are faced with. And again, on that score we learnt quite a bit. Although some of the technical details concerning these devices were a little bit beyond me, so I will have to ask the participants to teach me something about it. There was this other important topic of how Japan is being perceived in the world and how we make Japan more attractive. I’m referring to the topic of the working holidays. That again was very instructive to us.
This is the sixth contest that I’m judging. And, every year the quality is improving. It’s quite impressive. And, I’m very happy to see so many people being interested in actively projecting themselves and projecting the cases that they are arguing for.
I was also personally very happy to hear some humor being expressed, some charming presentations. The point about public speaking or debates or presentations, the important point is that it is an engagement process. It’s not a one way process. You have to engage the audience. There were some instances in which the presenter so charmed the audience that the hall was full of laughter, which I thought was very encouraging.
One another element which I found refreshing was the participation of not just Japanese participants but some of the non Japanese participants in this presentation. And, how Japan is seen through the eyes of those non Japanese people who have been staying in Japan for quite some time. And again it was a very meaningful learning experience for us. So, I would like to thank all the contestants for all the hard work that they have put in. Well, the announcement is going to be made later. I shouldn't talk about the individuals now but congratulations to all those who are winning the prize. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much and congratulations to all the participants. It takes a lot of work and a lot of courage and confidence to get up not only just to give a 10-minute presentation but to also be judged by it. Public speaking, because of technology, is becoming a lost art. I really applaud you for that. Thank you.
Thank you very much for the kind introduction. Today, I totally enjoyed listening to the entire presentation. It is my fourth time to be serving as a judge, an honorable task,but I found that the enthusiasm not only from the presenters but also from the audience was greater than ever before. I felt every participants melted into one great force. For presenters, I thought all the effort you have put in has materialized very nicely today. By seriously listening to the presentations, I was intrigued to believe that Japan would be a much better place in the future !
I think all the presentations were very logical using lots of data. And the story telling by each presenters was impressive too. Today, you had been given various topics like gender issues or reducing food waste etc. But what’s important from now on, I believe, is that you will have to find issues or topics yourself to make the life a better one. For example, find the pain points so to speak around you and start discussing what you can do about it. In this regard, your curiosity matters very much. With this kind of endeavor, I think you can make Japan to be a much better place.
Also, needless to say but I cannot stop thinking that the year 2020 is the year of Olympics and Paralympics. While athletes are training for the competition, it is time for non-athletes like us to brush up our English. For Japanese like me, English does not come automatically. Surely, you have to make effort. For example, if you find a new expression, you somehow have to force yourself to use that expression in your conversation. It is also important to question yourself whether what you wanted to convey has really been transmitted. Namely, I would encourage you to keep on studying. Again, thank you very much for your presentation today.
Thank you. I am now 71 years old and I can’t compete with you in many areas. But I have one area where I can still compete with you, and that is running marathon. After this session I am leaving for Ooiso to join the Shonan marathon tomorrow. That will be my 14th full marathon. Challenge me in marathon!
I have three observations. The first is that English proficiency of the young people like you has improved a lot during the last 50 years. When I went to the US for graduate study in late 1970’s my TOEFL score (PBT) was only 580, and that was above average. I think your score would be 630 or above and you can express your ideas freely. The second is that we have teams consisting of both Japanese and foreign members, mixed teams. This is an evidence that Japan is becoming a multi-cultural society where diversity creates new ideas and values. It is a very good development. The third observation is the use of IT applications. We heard several presentations where solutions are offered using apps. This was again unthinkable 50 years ago. There was no internet, no Power Point. Now you can present your ideas and solutions using new technologies. With all these positive developments I believe that you have power to change Japan, and you can change the world. Congratulations!
Congratulations to all of you for your hard work. And, I was very, very impressed with every one of you with your very innovative and very creative presentations. I am very happy to be here today. This is the first time I joined as a judge for this session. This morning I just came back from Bangkok from a UN meeting on the gender equality. I arrived at 5:30 so I’m still a bit jet lagged. I have been working as a gender expert for more than 30 years. Next year we will have a world forum on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Mexico in May and Paris in July. The theme is generation equality. So, UN Women has told us to bring as many young people as possible to this world conference. I hope that this excellent group will join in the world forum for such occasions so that you can further exchange your ideas and experiences with other people from all over the world. Thank you very much.
Hello. Thank you very much. I’m very glad to be here and very thankful to being a judge today. Congratulations everybody.
私はJTBの教育第一事業部で働いています。お客様は、首都圏の中学、高校、大学の先生、生徒さんですが、提案する企画書には、SDGsのプログラムを織り込んでいます。
ここにいる皆さんにも、SDGsの17の問題は、解決が必要な課題だと感じていただきたいと思いますし、私たちも旅行会社として、SDGsの問題を解決できるようなプログラムを提示していきたいと思っています。
本日のプレゼンテーションでは、自由な発想をもとにした提案を聞き、とてもワクワクと楽しませていただきました。しかし実際にビジネス化することを考えると、見えない部分で多額のコストや人手がかかります。その点をどう解決し、どう企画に織り込むかを真剣に考え、当社に持ち込んでいただけたら嬉しいです。今日は本当にありがとうございました。
ファイナリストの皆さん、おめでとうございました。
皆さんは大変良い経験をされたと思います。私が大学生の頃よりも確実に、日本の学生のプレゼンテーション能力が上がっていると感じました。
日本はこれから少子高齢化が進み、市場も次第にシュリンクしていきます。日本の企業として今後世界でどう生き残っていくのか考えなければなりませんが、皆さんのように優秀で、しっかりと英語で自分の意見が言え、グローバルな世界で戦うことのできる人材を目の当たりにし、心強く思っております。
フードロスの問題も、解決を目指す立場にある企業として、多くのグループが感心を持ってくれていることに安心しました。今後も頑張ってください。
Hello! I will start by congratulating the finalists and all the students in the audience. I know that you have been through a very rigorous process to get here, and I absolutely commend you on this impressive accomplishment. All three presentation topics this year were near and dear to me as I work in agriculture and live in Japan. Through your creative, informative and engaging presentations, you displayed skill and poise. Congratulations to all of you!
Given such a strong interest in the study of the English language, I encourage you to come and study in the United States. There are many opportunities to further your education and develop your English skills through study abroad programs. Please consider the United States as your next education destination! Thank you!
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