The Japan Times Co., Ltd. (president and CEO: Minako Suematsu) will hold the 12th Japan Spelling Bee, where elementary and junior high school students will compete in the spelling of English words, on Saturday, March 6.
Spellers from around the country normally gather at a venue in Tokyo, but this time the tournament will be held online to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Japan Times is officially certified by the Scripps National Spelling Bee and has been hosting the Japan tournament since 2010, supporting the passionate competition of children grappling
with esoteric English words.
The winner of the Japan Spelling Bee will represent Japan at the U.S. finals in Washington in early June.
▼About The 12th Japan Spelling Bee
Spelling bees are contests held around the world in which elementary and junior high school students compete in spelling English words. Participants must accurately spell words given to them one at a time, and the participant who can answer correctly until the very end is the winner.
The competitions began in 1925 in the United States, aiming to teach children how to use English words correctly and support their future by honing their academic abilities.
In the United States, the contests are nationally popular. As many as 9 million boys and girls take part in local qualifying competitions. Fewer than 300 spellers who won their local contest compete in the annual national tournament in Washington. The event is broadcast live on television, and the winner is given a prize of $50,000 and a trophy.
■The 12th Japan Spelling Bee: Outline of the event
▽Event date
Saturday, March 6, 2021
▽Venue
Held online
▽Organizer・Management
Organizer: The Japan Times ・Management: The Japan Times Cube
▽Supporters
The United States Embassy, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, The New York Times
▽Sponsors
Costco Wholesale Japan Inc., Benesse Holdings, Inc.
▽Number of participating schools
31 schools (one representative from each school)
▽Participants
Students age 8 to 15 (under the age of 15 as of Aug. 31, 2021)
◆The Japan Times
Established in 1897 (Meiji 30), The Japan Times has the longest history of any English-language newspaper in Japan. Its website was first introduced in 1996. Using social media, we are currently striving to spread information about Japan and its future to the world. Our readers consider us a reliable source of information about Japan. This includes not only foreign residents in Japan, but also government officials, think tanks and media around the world. For historical research about Japan and Asia, we use archives from universities and public libraries abroad.
【Inquiries】
The Japan Times Cube Co., Ltd.
＜Press release inquiries＞
Public Relations: Ms. Kumano
E-mail: [email protected]
＜Inquiries about the event＞
Japan Times Cube
Japan Spelling Bee management office
E-mail: [email protected]
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