22nd Exchange Debate Contest held at Kyushu University

On Saturday, July 12, 2025, approximately 100 people—including 18 teams of high school and university students, as well as judges and staff—gathered at Kyushu University’s Ito Campus for the 22nd Exchange Debate Contest. The event was sponsored by the Japan Debate Association (JDA) Kyushu Chapter and co-sponsored by the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Kyushu University. The tournament was chaired by Associate Professor Kota Jodoi of Kumamoto University, who also serves as the President of the JDA Kyushu Chapter.

The contest is held annually with three main objectives: to provide novice debaters with opportunities to participate in interscholastic debates, to promote interaction between high school and university students, and to support debate education in high schools. Many high school students visited Kyushu University's Ito Campus for the first time, and shared impressions such as: “The campus is so spacious and beautiful,” and “I was surprised by how large the classrooms are.”

The debate topic was the same as that used in the National High School English Debate Tournament:
“Resolved: That the Japanese Government should ban children under 16 years old from using social media.” 

Each team participated in three rounds of debate, using a power-pairing system, where teams with similar win-loss records face each other from the second round onward. The undefeated Team A from Tochiku High School (members: Aoi Yoshida, Kahou Kyou, and Hina Takeo) won the championship. Team B from the same school also won all three rounds but finished in second place due to a slightly lower total speaker point score. One Best Speaker was selected from each school and received an award.

Ms. Yasuko Matsuda, a teacher from Kurume High School who served as a judge, shared the following reflections:

“The topic of banning minors from using social media is highly relevant and impactful. I found it very meaningful that the students engaged seriously with both affirmative and negative sides of the controversy. The participants provided precise rebuttals and defenses based on their team positions and showed impressive ability in weighing the importance of arguments. After the rounds, students quickly bonded with smiles and lively conversations, highlighting the younger generation’s warmth and adaptability—it was heartwarming to see.”

From Kyushu University, four teams made up of first-year students in English classes participated voluntarily. Despite limited preparation time, each team performed well and engaged actively with the high school students. Ms. Rina Narusawa, a first-year student in the School of Letters, who was selected as Kyushu University’s Best Speaker, shared her thoughts:

“This debate contest was an extremely valuable experience for me. Although I had participated in classroom discussions and simple debates before, it was my first time preparing and debating in such a formal setting with official rules, which was both refreshing and stimulating. I was also impressed by the logical thinking and expressive abilities of the high school students. Through the debates, I gained a lot of knowledge and found joy in thinking in new ways.”

The Faculty of Languages and Cultures’ Debate Education Support Group will continue its efforts to promote debate education. More details of the contest are available at the JDA’s website (https://japan-debate-association.org/about/kyushu). For inquiries, please contact: debate@flc.kyushu-u.ac.jp