Contest launched to inspire Vietnamese children’s passion for Japanese language and culture

Under the theme “Japanese Language Opens the Door to the Future”, the competition is organised to create an educational, linguistic and cultural playground for Vietnamese children aged 5 to 15. It also aims to promote cultural and educational exchange between Viet Nam and Japan.

Speaking at the launch, Nguyen Dang Hoang, consular officer in charge of community affairs at the Vietnamese Consulate-General in Osaka, Japan, praised the competition’s significance, describing it as a suitable platform for Vietnamese pupils to test and assess their Japanese proficiency.

He said the contest would not only motivate children to study and practise a foreign language, but also help make the teaching and learning of Japanese in Vietnamese schools more active, practical and effective.

The initiative also helps to promote people-to-people exchanges, strengthen educational cooperation and build a solid social foundation for the long-term development of Viet Nam–Japan relations, he added.

Le Thuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the Kansai Region and Director of VJCE, said J-KIDS 2026 is expected to become an annual event, helping Vietnamese children use Japanese with confidence, develop their creativity and gradually act as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

The competition is open to Vietnamese children or children of Vietnamese origin living in Viet Nam and abroad. It is divided into three age groups: Category A (5–8 years), Category B (9–11 years) and Category C (12–15 years).

Competition content is designed to be diverse and age-appropriate, including public speaking, storytelling, singing in Japanese, acting, role-playing, drawing, oral presentations, self-introduction videos, and artistic talent performances.

J-KIDS 2026 will be conducted through preliminary rounds, selection rounds and a national final. The preliminary round will accept applications and video entries from contestants nationwide and from overseas. Participants should send their entries to Jkidstes.vn@gmail.com.

The national final is expected to be held in person in Ha Noi, with the participation of experts, educators, educational organisations and businesses from both countries.