World Speech Day Japan is organised as a part of World Speech Day where more than 100 countries take part every year. 

Thanks to the support from the Japan Foundation, it has become possible to run this event on much a bigger scale since 2021. 

During my career as a language teacher, and especially in my public speaking class, I have always been impressed by how young people have a lot going on in their minds that is worth sharing with the world. And since I started to get involved in organising World Speech Day, I came to believe more strongly that every such message should be treated as important no matter what the speaker's age, race, language, culture, or educational background is. 

To put an idea into a concrete shape is not always easy, and to make it understood exactly as the speaker had intended could be even more challenging. 

In this event, the participants from different backgrounds learn and discover the way to do this gradually, through dialogue and interaction among them. 

The event is an opportunity for people to present their idea/message to the world through the speech. The participants from Japan and the UK (and other countries) meet online and work together to prepare their speeches in the language they are learning (i.e. Japanese or English).  

The event takes the form of a speech contest but with an emphasis on the process of preparation and post-event reflection, which allows participants to develop new skills and meet people from different backgrounds and across borders. Through this process, we aim to provide an opportunity for participants to deepen their intercultural understanding and grow as people with a broader perspective.