Submit your entry to the International Essay Contest for Young People and win cash prizes and a free trip to Japan. All nationalities can participate from anywhere in the world. The essay must be 700 words or less in order to qualify. However, the cover page and essay title are excluded from the word count.
This annual essay writing competition is organized in an effort to harness the energy, creativity, and initiative of the world’s youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world.
Based in Japan, the Goi Peace Foundation is a public benefit organization supported by members around the world working together to create a culture of peace. Our mission is to foster a sustainable and harmonious global society by promoting consciousness, values, and wisdom for creating peace, and by building cooperation among individuals and organizations across diverse fields, including education, science, culture, and the arts
INTERNATIONAL ESSAY CONTEST JAPAN 2020 DETAILS:
HOST COUNTRY:
Japan
ORGANIZED BY:
The Goi Peace Foundation
ENDORSED BY:
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, Japan Private High School Federation Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Nikkei Inc.
SUPPORTED BY:
SEIKO HOLDINGS CORPORATION, PLUS CORPORATION
ESSAY THEME:
“A LETTER FROM MYSELF IN 2030”
Imagine what an ideal world ten years from now would be like. Write a letter from yourself in 2030 to your present (2020) self, in which you describe the state of the world, the way people are living, and what you, yourself, are doing in society. In addition, include any important message that you might wish to tell your present self.
AWARDS:
The following awards will be given in the Children’s category and Youth category respectively:
1st Prize: Certificate, a prize of 100,000 Yen (approx. US$900 as of Feb. 2020) (1 entrant)
2nd Prize: Certificate, a prize of 50,000 Yen (approx. US$450 as of Feb. 2020) and gift (2 entrants)
3rd Prize: Certificate and gift (5 Entrants)
Honorable Mention: Certificate and gift (25 entrants)
1st prize winners will be invited to the award ceremony to be held in Tokyo, Japan in November 2020 and will receive the Minister of Education Award. (Travel expenses will be covered by the organizer.)
Additional awards (Recognition for Effort, Best School Award, School Incentive Award) will be given
if applicable.
All prize winners will be announced on October 31, 2020 (Japan time) on this website. Certificates and gifts will be mailed to the winners in December 2020.
GUIDELINES:
Essays may be submitted by anyone up to 25 years old (as of June 15, 2020) in one of the following age categories: a) Children (ages up to 14) b) Youth (ages 15 – 25)
Essays must be 700 words or less in English, French, Spanish or German, or 1600 characters or less in Japanese, excluding essay title and cover page. Essays may be typed or printed.
Entries may be submitted online or by postal mail.
IMPORTANT: To send your essay online, you must go to the online registration page and follow the required steps. Since the online registration page is expected to experience high traffic towards the June 15 deadline, we suggest that you submit your essay as early as possible.
Entries submitted by postal mail must include a cover page indicating
Your name
Category (Children or Youth)
Age as of June 15, 2020
Gender
Nationality
Address
E-mail (
Phone number
School name (if applicable)
Your essay title
Language
word count.
Teachers and youth directors may submit a collection of essays from their class or group.
Please enclose a list of participants’ names, ages and the name and contact information of the submitting teacher or director.
Entries missing any of the above information will not be considered.
Only one entry per person is accepted.
A cover page template is available to download. You may also create your own cover page with all items (1)-(12) above.
We are unable to confirm receipt of the essays.
Essays must be original and unpublished. Plagiarized entries will be rejected.
Essays must be written by one person. Co-authored essays are not accepted.
Copyright of the essays entered will be assigned to the organizer.
If you have questions, please consult the FAQ section below.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN ESSAY FOR INTERNATIONAL CONTEST 2020?
To send your essay online, you must go to the online registration page and follow the required steps.
If you wish to submit your entry by postal mail, send it to International Essay Contest c/o The Goi Peace Foundation 1-4-5 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan.
For further inquiries concerning the International Essay Contest for Young People, please contactessay@goipeace.or.jp
ENTRY DEADLINE: Entries must be received by June 15, 2020 (23:59 your local time).
