TOP > What's up around the Prime Minister > March, 2008

Winners of High School Speech Contest on the Northern Territories Pay Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Monday, March 3, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda received a courtesy call at the Prime Minister's Official Residence from the top winners of the Twenty-Second High School Speech Contest on the Northern Territories and talked with them. This event is contested by high school students in Hokkaido, with the aim of fostering an interest among the youth, who will take on the next generation, the Northern Territories issue and campaign for their return, as well as further raising public awareness of the issue. This year, the contest was held in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, on January 19. The first prize was awarded to Yuri Maruyama from Hakodate Shirayuri Senior High School (left in the photo), while the second prize went to Miho Umezawa from Hokkaido Sapporo Asahigaoka High School (right in the photo). Prime Minister Fukuda encouraged the two students, saying, "Thank you for creating excellent essays. I was impressed that they were so well written. I am sure that your thoughts on the Northern Territories were clearly conveyed by these essays."