Ballarat students participate in Japanese speech contest

Ballarat’s top students of Japanese language went head-to-head today in the annual Ballarat & Inagawa Sister City Japanese Speech Contest.  
 
Year 10 students from across Ballarat competed in the speech contest, which has its roots in the 34-year relationship between Inagawa and The City of Ballarat. The competing schools included Ballarat High School, St Patrick’s College, Loreto College, Ballarat Clarendon College and Mt. Clear College.  

Representatives from Inagawa attended the speech contest via teleconference.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney, said Ballarat was very proud to have a Sister City relationship with Inagawa.  
 
“An important part of that relationship between the two cities has been the commitment to organise and facilitate educational and cultural exchange opportunities,” he said.  
 
“Ballarat is an intercultural city. We embrace different cultures and welcome people into our community that bring different experiences and ideas that we can learn and grow from.” 
 
In the past, contest winners were awarded an expenses-paid trip to Japan, which included homestay experiences with Inagawa families. Ballarat has, likewise, hosted multiple Japanese students — winners of Inagawa’s English speaking competition. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel component of the award has not continued and this year’s winners received gift voucher prizes.  
 
For more information about The City of Ballarat’s Sister City relationship with Inagawa, click here.