Austin Students Going For Gold In National Japan Bowl

AUSTIN, TX — A group of students from Austin's Liberal Arts and Science Academy this week will compete in the National Japan Bowl, a Japanese language competition hosted by the Japan-America Society in Washington, D.C.

In an email to Patch, Sonia Schlesinger, a volunteer with the Japan-America Society, said the Austin students will compete virtually on Thursday and Friday. The championship, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., Easter, on Friday, can be streamed online.

This year's competition will be held virtually, and breakout workshops hosted by Japanese cultural groups will be offered in between competitions.

"For these students, the Japan Bowl is not just a challenging and fun competition, it also provides a chance to experience Japanese culture firsthand and to meet other students who share their interest in Japan and its language," the National Japan Bowl said in a news release.

The competition welcomes the country's top high school Japanese language students to compete in a high-intensity knowledge competition about the culture, history and social context behind the Japanese language. Contest winners travel to Japan for a week and meet with dignitaries including Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, the National Japan Bowl’s honorary patron.