21st Annual JASH Japan Wizards Statewide Academic Team Competition, presented by Hawaiian Airlines
Congratulations to the 99 students who represented 17 high schools from Oahu, Hawaiʻi and Maui at the 21st Annual JASH Japan Wizards Statewide Academic Team Competition (JWC), presented by Hawaiian Airlines, on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at UH Mānoa Campus Center! Teams were comprised of three students each, with a total of 33 teams competing. The student-teams were tested on their knowledge of various Japan-related topics such as contemporary Japan, culture and traditions, economy, food, geography, history, politics and government, religion, U.S./Hawaii-Japan ties, and of course language. The theme for the 2024 competition was Travel Around Japan!
Students were divided into two levels: Level A or Level B, depending on their current Japanese language level. Level A students are enrolled in Japanese I or II, and Level B students are enrolled in Japanese III or IV.
WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE OVERALL FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLACE WINNERS BY LEVEL:
Level A
1st place, Tateuchi Memorial Award and ICU Special Award winner (For highest number of points in the overall competition): Mililani High School
2nd place: Waipahu High School
3rd place: Hilo High School
Level B
1st place: Mililani High School
2nd place: Punahou School
3rd place: Waipahu High School
MIlilani High School Level A Team, Winner of the Tateuchi Memorial Award and
ICU (International Christian University) Special Award
Each year, JASH awards trips to Japan to the top scoring public and private school teams in each level. Please note that the school whose team won a trip to Japan through competition scores in 2023 JWC were eligible to win a trip this year via competition scores. We are pleased to announce the JWC Japan trip winners as follows:
Mililani High School Level A Team, Japan Trip Winner for Level A, Public School
Hanalani Schools Level A Team, Japan Trip Winner for Level A, Private School
Level A: Mililani High School (public) and Hanalani Schools (private)
Level B: Mililani High School (public) and Punahou School (private)
Mililani High School Level B, Japan Trip Winner for Level B, Public School
Punahou School Level B Team, Japan Trip Winner for Level B, Private School
In addition, JASH Board Director and Youth Education Committee Chair Jean E. Rolles sponsored a fifth award for a trip to Japan in honor of her friend and fellow JASH Board Director, Dr. Michael Leineweber, who passed away in 2014. Dr. Leineweber was a loyal supporter of JASH who strongly believed in the educational programs that JASH conducts, especially those programs that encouraged exchanges between people from Japan and Hawaii. In his memory, Ms. Rolles sponsored a team chosen through a random drawing during the JWC awards ceremony. To qualify for this drawing, the team must have scored at least 120 points and be in the top 20 scoring teams at the competition. The four teams who had already won Japan trips were not eligible for this drawing.
The winner of the Dr. Michael Leineweber Award was: St. Joseph School, Level A.
Waipahu High School, Level B was also awarded a trip to Japan donated by a retired public school teacher, who chooses to remain anonymous. The donor expressed how her former students benefited from the JASH Japan Wizards Competition and requested that a second public school from Level B travel to Japan.
These six teams of three students and their advisors will travel to Japan to experience firsthand what they studied in the classroom and through independent research.
This year, students were invited to create a video that illustrates why they think travel to Japan is significant, along with stating where they want to travel to on their next trip to Japan and why. JASH received a total of 21 video entries, and 7 of those were selected as "finalists." Of these final 7, four were given top awards in the following categories:
Most Representative of the Theme/Topic: Mililani High School Level A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3GyyGXD-fg
Most Inspirational: Hanalani Schools Level A
Most Educational: Hilo High School Level B
Best Produced: Kalani High School Level A
https://youtu.be/3Rds85zApQ0?si=sGTUQVIkSrpBDfuN
Between competition rounds, students were kept busy with numerous activity stations in the Activity Center. These included Pictionary, Spot It, the chopsticks game, ohajiki, kendama, hanafuda, and other fun activities.
Students can be seen in the Activity Center participating in the various activities.
Students were also provided opportunities to explore higher education options in Japan and Hawaii at our College Fair between competition rounds. The following JASH corporate member and supporting institutions participated in the College Fair: Bunsei University of Art; Fukuoka Foreign Language College; Hawaiʻi Tokai International College/Tokai University; International Christian University; Japan Exchange and Teaching Program; License Academy; Meikai University; Rikkyo University; Soshi Educational Group (International Pacific University and Tokyo Management College); Temple University Japan Campus; and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, College of Social Sciences.
Students can be seen in the College Fair visiting booths stationed by local representatives.
Thank you to our title sponsor Hawaiian Airlines and other major supporters–Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation; College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Freeman Foundation; Hawaii Hotel Industry Foundation; International Christian University; Japanese Women’s Society Foundation; Ms. Jean Rolles; JTB Hawaii; Kosasa Foundation; License Academy; Lighthouse Hawaii; Temple University Japan Campus; The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles; and our anonymous donor–who through the JWC, encourage high school students to study about Japan and the many fascinating topics associated with it.
We were also honored to have Mr. Kozo Yoshida and Mr. Ron Samiano from Hawaiian Airlines join the Awards Ceremony and present Japan trip awards to winning teams. As our title sponsor, Hawaiian Airlines generously provides round trip tickets to Japan for the four winning teams as well as inter-island tickets to neighbor island school teams to participate in the JWC. Neighbor island school students had the chance to thank them in person and also present thank you cards to be shared with their colleagues at Hawaiian Airlines.
(L-R) Waiakea High School, St. Joseph School, Konawaena High School, Hilo High School, King Kekaulike High School, and Seabury Hall Teams present Thank you cards to Mr. Kozo Yoshida and Mr. Ron Samiano
JASH would also like to thank Dr. Denise Konan, Dean and Mr. Spencer Kimura, Director of International Programs, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for the generous use of the UH Mānoa facilities and their support of the Japan Wizards Competition.
Finally, our gratitude goes to the 50+ volunteers who helped the JWC run smoothly and volunteered their Saturday a few weeks ago for a training session. Volunteers were from organizations that included the Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association of Hawaii, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Kapiolani Community College, Hawaiʻi Tokai International College, JCI Honolulu, and JTB Hawaii, just to name a few. Without their tremendous support, the JWC would not have been possible. Thank you and we look forward to seeing everyone again at next year’s JWC!
