ICU Student Wins Excellence Award at Korea-Japan Essay Contest 2025

Mikako Fukuda in Faculty of Economics 4 won the Excellence Award in the "Japanese Essay General Category" of the "Korea-Japan Exchange Essay Contest 2025" organized by the Korean Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Republic of Japan in and the Korean Education Center in Tokyo.

This contest is held annually for elementary school students and the general public in Japan and South Korea with the aim of deepening mutual understanding between the two countries. In the "Japanese Essay General Category", out of 222 entries, 1 Grand Prize, 2 Excellence Awards, 4 Honorable Mentions, and 12 winners were selected.

The theme of the essay is "Korean food". Growing up in Fukuoka Prefecture, which is close to South Korea, Fukuda felt close to Korean food and culture. In addition to the translation app, it also describes the experience of interacting with Korean people with gestures.

On receiving the award, Mr. Fukuda said, "I was very surprised to receive the Excellence Award at the writing contest in which I participated in an essay contest where I lived my university life while facing a chronic illness and wanted to do something about it. He said.