Comments from the Judge Committee

Tatsuya Nakagome, Japan Foundation, Alberta Education (Chief Judge)

”This video contest is a valuable initiative that carries on the vision of the late Professor Xiaojie Yang. Its aim is to provide learners of Japanese across Canada with an opportunity to showcase their achievements by creating videos in Japanese and competing through their creativity, thereby contributing to increased learning motivation and improved learning outcomes.
In this third edition of the contest, 16 outstanding works were submitted across three categories. Each entry reflects the creator’s unique personal story with the Japanese language, expressed through original ideas and creative ingenuity. All of the videos demonstrate dedicated practice, thoughtful planning, and a high level of video-editing skill. Within the brief span of 120 seconds, each work is filled with the presenter’s passion and heartfelt commitment.
Because the participants convey their messages earnestly in the Japanese they have worked so hard to learn, these videos are well worth watching not only for learners of Japanese in Canada, but also for learners around the world and for native Japanese speakers. We sincerely hope that this video contest will continue to connect Japanese language learners across Canada and contribute to the continued growth and development of Japanese language education in the country.”

Nobuyuki Yoshihara, Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Section, Embassy of Japan in Canada

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who submitted a video. Within the limited time of 90–120 seconds, each of you demonstrated remarkable creativity and effort to produce truly wonderful works. Every video had its own unique character, and I found myself watching them again and again. What they all shared, however, was a genuine love for the Japanese language, Japanese culture, and Japan itself. As a Japanese person, this made me feel both deeply happy and very proud. I was also amazed by the high level of Japanese demonstrated by all the participants. I hope you will continue to enjoy learning Japanese and, through your studies, discover even more of what makes Japan so fascinating. If we ever have the opportunity to meet someday, I would love to have a conversation with you in Japanese. I truly look forward to that day. Thank you to everyone who was involved in creating these videos."

Mariko Abe, The Japan Foundation, Toronto

"I truly enjoyed watching all of the videos! It was a pleasure to see how much the contestants enjoy studying Japanese and expressing themselves through the language. Their enthusiasm, creativity, and passion for learning were inspiring and made this contest especially rewarding to judge. Congratulations to all who have submitted their videos, and I hope that you will all continue to enjoy learning Japanese."

Natsumi Onishi, General Manager, Sky Canada

"All of the submitted videos were wonderfully polished and a joy to watch. What stood out most was not only the accurate use of Japanese, but also the strong effort each participant made to express themselves in their own way, using Japanese creatively and thoughtfully. We were also struck by the wide range of backgrounds represented among the participants, which highlighted both the diversity and the growing reach of Japanese language learning in Canada. Every entry clearly reflected a great deal of effort and enthusiasm, and to be honest, it was extremely difficult to rank the submissions. I would like to offer heartfelt applause not only to the award recipients, but to everyone who took on the challenge and participated. I hope this experience encourages you to continue exploring the Japanese language and Japan itself, and to keep learning with curiosity and enjoyment."

Louise Akuzawa, Board Member, Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre

"I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of the videos and was impressed by the creativity and skill shown in each one. I hope this video contest encourages more people to develop an interest in the Japanese language and culture, and serves as a source of motivation and inspiration for everyone learning Japanese."

From the Organizing Committee

2025年第三回カナダ日本語ビデオコンテスト参加者の皆さんへ、

第三回カナダ日本語ビデオコンテストにご参加いただき、誠にありがとうございました。多くの意欲的で個性あふれる作品をお寄せくださり、実行委員会一同、深く感謝しております。

皆さんが日本語を使って「何を、どのように伝えようとしているか」という工夫、努力が随所に見られました。ビデオ作品を通して、日本語学習を楽しんでいる様子が伝わってきて、見ている私たちも楽しく視聴できました。日本語によるビデオ作品作成という挑戦を機に、将来の日本語学習や表現活動につなげていただければ幸いです。

改めまして、すべての参加者の皆さまに心よりお礼申し上げます。

2025年第三回カナダ日本語ビデオコンテスト実行委員会

Dear Participants,

Thank you very much for participating in the Third Canada Japanese Language Video Contest.

We received many highly motivated and creative submissions, for which the Organizing Committee would like to express its sincere appreciation. Throughout the videos, we could clearly see the thought, creativity, and effort you put into deciding what to convey and how to express it in Japanese. Your enjoyment of learning Japanese were projected vividly in your work, making the viewing experience enjoyable for all of us as well. We hope that this challenge of creating video works in Japanese will serve as a stepping stone for your future Japanese language learning and creative activities.

Thank you once again to all participants.

Sincerely,

The 3rd Canada Japanese Video Contest Organizing Committee