Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > March, 2006

Winners of High School Speech Contest on the Northern Territories Pay Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Thursday, March 9, 2006 JAPANESE Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received a courtesy call at the Prime Minister's Official Residence from the top winners of the twentieth High School Speech Contest on the Northern Territories and talked with them. This contest was held with participation of contestants representing high schools in Hokkaido on January 21. The first prize was awarded to Nozomi Watanabe, a second-year student at Asahikawa University Senior High School (left in the photo), while the second prize went to Madoka Onishi from Hakodate Shirayuri Senior High School (right in the photo). During his talks with them, Prime Minister Koizumi asked questions about how the contest went. Knowing that the speech must be given within a seven-minute time frame, he said, "That must be so difficult. When we get stage fright, we tend to speak hastily and feel nervous about it, don't we?" Prime Minister Koizumi then talked with the students concerning their experiences in visiting the Four Northern Islands. In closing, he encouraged these two winners to utilize the experience they have gained from taking part in the contest and keep up their efforts.