Kyushu U students excelled in 14th International Japanese Debate Camp and Tournament

The "International Japanese Debate Camp and Tournament" was held over five days from August 20-24. The purpose of this training camp course is to bring together overseas Japanese language learners and native Japanese speakers to develop debating skills and, at the same time, create international friendships. This year, marking its 14th year, the camp was held at Kyushu University’s "Yama no Ie" training facility in the nature-rich town of Kokonoe in Oita Prefecture. Approximately 40 students and faculty from universities in East Asia (Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) participated in the five-day program.

＜Participating Universities＞Oita University, Osaka University, Kyushu University, Kumamoto University, Shizuoka University, Seinan Gakuin University, Chikushi Jogakuen University, Catholic University (Korea), Dongguk University WISE Campus (Korea), Konkuk University (Korea), Busan University of Foreign Studies (Korea), National Yang Ming Jiaotong University (Taiwan)

This training camp course was hosted by the ISTD International Society for Teaching Debate and the Kyushu Chapter of the JDA Japan Debate Association, and was co-hosted by the Faculty of Languages and Cultures at Kyushu University. In addition, Professor Sumie Kamijo (National Yang Ming Jiao Tong University) and Professor Akihiro Suwa (Busan University of Foreign Studies) came to Japan with the students to help prepare for and run the camp.

Debate classes and camp life

Debate is known as an effective tool for foreign language education. In this course, native Japanese speakers and Japanese language learners sat side by side as they learned the fundamentals of debate from their instructor, Assistant Professor Kota Jodoi (Kumamoto University). Afterward, drawing on what they had learned, the students worked together to prepare for the practice debate rounds. On the final day of the training camp, they took part in an actual tournament.

This year's topic was "Should the Japanese government ban the use of social media by people under the age of 16?"

Over the five days, the participating students overcame differences in their language and culture, learning from and teaching each other through debate while living and eating together. It also served as an opportunity to deepen friendships and cultivate skills in Japanese language, communication, and critical thinking. In addition to debate activities, the students also enjoyed camp life, with BBQs, games, hot springs, sports, and more.

Here are some messages from participants from Japan and overseas (some text has been modified):

Comments from participating students

"Through the lectures before and during the camp, I deepened my understanding of debate, learned how to write logical essays, and developed teamwork skills with my group. I also learned how to complete tasks effectively, and how to communicate with people from other countries." (Kyushu U student)

"I learned that what's important when interacting with people isn't how fluently you can speak the language, but how much you want to use it to communicate your thoughts. Japanese language learners try to convey what they want to say using translation and body language, and Japanese speakers also learned to speak using simpler words and at a slower pace, making it easier for learners to understand." (Kyushu U student)

"During the camp, I sometimes thought that if I could speak English or another language (so that I can accommodate other people by adapting to their languages), I might be able to communicate more effectively. This was the first time I felt like I wanted to communicate meaningful words to others in a foreign language." (Kyushu U student)

"More than anything, the most valuable experience was being able to work in teams during the preparation process for the competition. This exposed me to diverse cultural perspectives and also gave me the opportunity to naturally converse in Japanese." (Student from overseas)

"Through the debates, I realized that every issue has both advantages and disadvantages, and there are two sides to every story. This has helped me develop a mindset to approach things with a more positive perspective than before." (Student from overseas)

Conference Results

Students deliver a speech during one of the preliminary debate rounds.tournament held on the final day of the training camp, each team competed in three preliminary debate rounds (one affirmative and one negative, with the third match decided by the results). Team D and Team F, who won all three rounds, advanced to the final. After a close debate, Team D, who was on the affirmative side, won the final round.

Individual awards based on the results of the three preliminary rounds were also announced. The winners of each award are as follows:

Winner: Team D

• Yui Ishihara (Kyushu University)
• Tokumaru Kurumi (Oita University)
• TSAI PEI-MIN (National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University)
• SON HUIMIN (Busan University of Foreign Studies)

Runner-up: Team F

• Sakura Yamaguchi (Kyushu University)
• Arima Meru (Kumamoto University)
• Li Junwei (National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University)
• Park Sangmin (Busan University of Foreign Studies)

Individual Awards

<Japanese Language Learners Division>

Best Debater

• Gong Jjiwon (Busan University of Foreign Studies)

Outstanding Debater

• Park Sangmin (Busan University of Foreign Studies)
• Wong Yincing (Kyushu University)

<Native Japanese Speaker Category>

Best Debater

• Yui Ishihara (Kyushu University)

Outstanding Debater

• Tsuchie Mana (Oita University)
• Tokumaru Kurumi (Oita University)
• Yamaguchi Ryohei (Kyushu University)

This training camp course was hosted by the ISTD International Society for Teaching Debate and the Kyushu Chapter of the JDA Japan Debate Association, and was co-hosted by the Faculty of Languages and Cultures at Kyushu University.

For inquiries regarding this debate camp or other debate activities, please contact Kyushu University FLC Debate Education Support Group by email (debate[at]flc.kyushu-u.ac.jp).

Basic Info:

Location: Kyushu University Mountain House
Lecturer: Dr. Kota Jodoi (Kumamoto University)
Debate Topic: "Should the Japanese government ban the use of social media by people under the age of 16?"
This program is a training camp course where native Japanese speakers and learners collaborate to learn Japanese debate. A total of 41 people participated, including 35 students, supervising teachers, judges, etc. (including judges who participated online).

Kyushu University students are eligible to earn the KIKAN general education credits of “International Japanese Debate Camp.”