Japan Foreign Trade Council International Essay Competition 2013

Deadline: September 13 2013

Japan Foreign Trade Council is sponsoring JFTC Essay Competition 2013 to encourage students, young researchers and business people to express their opinions on matters of national and international importance.

Essay Topic

“Japan’s policy direction in the global economy－ Growth strategy to revitalize the economy and Japan’s contribution to the world －”

It has been five years since the financial crisis that devastated the global economy. Many countries are still facing difficult challenges such as pursuing both fiscal consolidation and economic growth, and finding a stable and sustainable growth path. In Japan, strategies to end its long-term stagnation—which is referred to as the “Lost Decade” or the “Lost Two Decades”—have been widely discussed.

What innovation or industries should be fostered to stimulate the Japanese economy in the medium- and long-term and how can we achieve it? What economic policies are necessary and what roles should be played by the government, businesses, and individuals respectively? If there are any issues besides economic concerns, what are those? How can Japan contribute to the stable and sustainable development of the global economy?

We welcome your proposals regarding the course of direction that Japan should take and specific strategies to revitalize its economy and contribute to the global economy. Think outside the box! Your innovative ideas are welcomed.

Prize

One Grand Prize of 1,000,000yen
Three Prizes for Excellence of 200,000yen each

The award winners from abroad will be provided with a round trip air ticket to Tokyo, Japan to attend the award ceremony to be held on January 8, 2014.

Qualification

Anyone can apply for the Essay Competition, regardless of nationality or age.

Language

English (4,000words) or Japanese (10,000characters). Each essay MUST BE accompanied by an essay summary of no more than 400words in English/ 800 Japanese characters.

Terms of Reference

Essays must be submitted in the specified format sheet downloaded from our website. Unless both essay title and summary are presented, such application shall be deemed incomplete and will NOT be evaluated. Also, all submissions must be original and should be submitted with complete fill out of an entry form. No previously published materials will be accepted. All rights to the award-winning essays shall be the exclusive property of JFTC.

Announcement

Award winners will be publicly announced on December 13, 2013.
The award-winners from abroad will be provided with a round trip air ticket to Tokyo, Japan to attend the award ceremony to be held on January 8, 2014.

Contact Address

Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc., Public Relations Group
6th Floor, World Trade Center Building, 2-4-1, Hamamatsu-cho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6106, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3435-5964  E-mail: kouhou@jftc.or.jp
Web site:  www.jftc.or.jp