On April 17–18, students from the Japanese 2 and 3 classes and their teacher, Yoko Eshita, competed in the 34th National Japan Bowl, a quiz competition on Japanese language and culture for high school students, held in Washington, D.C.
The Level 2 teams—William Blashfield, Berkeley Crane, and Ashwika Peddireddy—earned 10th place in the nation, while the Level 3 teams—Grace Ku, Aki Livingston, and Emma Taylor—placed 6th.
During the competition, students had the opportunity to network with peers from across the United States, explore opportunities to use Japanese during college and beyond, and take part in cultural activities such as origami and yosakoi dance. We were also fortunate to meet Mr. Hiroshi Ando, the Education Counsellor from the Embassy of Japan.
Before returning to Richmond, students visited the Smithsonian Asian Art Museum. Below are reflections from the students.
From Left: Emma Taylor, Aki Livingston, William Blashfield, Mr. Hiroshi Ando (Embassy of Japan), Grace Ku, Berkeley Crane, Ashwika Peddiredd, and Yoko Eshita (Japanese Teacher)
William Blashfield (’27-Powhatan)
“The Japan Bowl was such an amazing experience! We all had so much fun studying and competing, and the Japanese learning community at the competition was so welcoming. I am so glad to have met people from all around the country with different levels of Japanese experience because it really opened me up to how supportive and caring this community of learners is. I even learned a ton of new interesting facts about Japanese culture, history, and language! Being able to experience this was such an amazing opportunity, and I will never forget it. It was so fun to experience so many people who were so involved in the study of Japanese at my age! I really hope I am able to do it again next year! It was truly one of my favorite moments from my time at Maggie Walker, and I think being able to participate in this competition really displays the beauty behind the diversity of our school!”
Berkeley Crane (’28-Richmond)
“The Japan Bowl was a transformative experience. The environment provides challenge and competition, though above all functions as an opportunity to connect with others and grow as an individual. I’m grateful that I could be a part of the magic of building the next generation of leaders in a space brimming with others motivated to build a better world through understanding. The Japan Bowl allowed me to fully immerse myself in the Japanese language and culture in such a unique way, and I feel more confident than ever in my ability to be a bridge between our two countries in the future.”
Ashwika Peddireddy (’27-Henrico)
“The Japan Bowl was an amazing experience. Participating in the rounds was fun as it allowed my team and me to expand our knowledge about Japanese culture and language. I enjoyed meeting the other teams and creating connections with people from around the nation. I also enjoyed learning about the study abroad opportunities and the history of the Japan Bowl competition. Overall, the Japan Bowl experience was incredible, including the food, competition, and people.”
Grace Ku (’27-Henrico)
“The 34th annual Japan Bowl was my second time participating in this event. I studied even more than the year before and made new friends. Although some of the questions were challenging, I still had an amazing time connecting with other teams who were interested in studying the Japanese language and culture like me. I got to do the Yosakoi Soran dance workshop as well. It was very fun learning the dance with others. I believe the Japan Bowl is a great way for students like me to make connections and gain knowledge that bridges Japan and the United States.”
Aki Livingston (’27-Henrico)
“I had a lot of fun at Japan Bowl! Overall, I’m very happy with how my group and I performed during the preliminary rounds. Although we didn’t place in the top 5, I really like just how much we improved from last year. The food was also very delicious, and it was fun meeting other students like the students from the Center of Global Studies in Connecticut. The activities, like practicing the yosakoi soran dance, were also very fun.”
Emma Taylor (’26-Chesterfield)
“I really enjoyed my time at the Japan Bowl! I got to meet a lot of people, including students from Guam. I even got to speak Japanese to the Minister of Public Affairs from the Japanese Embassy. I learned a lot about Japanese holidays specifically. For example, Tanabata, where people write wishes on small papers and then hang them on bamboo branches.”
