The Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, once again organized the 3rd Japanese Language Presentation Competition for the North Sumatra and Aceh Regions in 2024 on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at the T. Amin Ridwan Building, FIB USU. The activity, which was intended for Japanese language learners at the higher education level, carried the theme “Society as Seen through Current News.”

The Japanese Language Presentation Competition for the North Sumatra and Aceh Regions was developed from the Japanese Speech Contest, which had previously been regularly held in the North Sumatra and Aceh regions. In its third implementation, the activity was organized in the form of presentations to provide participants with an opportunity to convey ideas and views on various social issues based on current news using the Japanese language.

The activity was attended by nine Japanese language learners from various higher education institutions, namely the Diploma Program in Japanese Language of USU, Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature of USU, and Universitas Harapan. The nine participants were Eka Aditya Syahputra, Jonathan Tono, Imel Lauren, Syahban Danas, Khalisa Amalia Ashari Lubis, Bryan Noah Alexander, Alya Zafira, M. Revanza Aditya, and Nabila Elfina Sari.

The competition was judged by three judges, namely Ms. Shigemura Miyoko from The Japan Foundation Jakarta, Mr. Furunobu Koichi from the Consulate-General of Japan in Medan, and Mr. Inokura Takayuki from Medan Japan Club.

Based on the assessment results, Eka Aditya Syahputra from the Diploma Program in Japanese Language of USU won first place through a presentation entitled “日本におけるインドネシア人ギャング実態”. Second place was won by Syahban Danas from the Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature of USU with a presentation entitled “ネチズンとクラブメンタリティ”, while third place was won by Bryan Noah Alexander from the Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature of USU through a presentation entitled “クリエイティブなSNSユーザー”. Meanwhile, Imel Lauren from the Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature of USU received an honorable mention through a presentation entitled “「FOMO」のせいでオンラインローンに陥る”.

As the first-place winner, Eka Aditya Syahputra was recommended to participate in the 3rd National Japanese Language Presentation Competition in 2024 as the representative of the North Sumatra and Aceh regions.

The 3rd Japanese Language Presentation Competition for the North Sumatra and Aceh Regions in 2024 was organized through cooperation among the Japan Foundation Jakarta, the Consulate-General of Japan in Medan, the Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature, and the Diploma Program in Japanese Language of FIB USU. This cooperation supported the development of Japanese language skills and learners' knowledge of the Japanese language, culture, and society.

The activity also received a positive response from the audience. Based on the results of a questionnaire distributed through Google Forms, 87 percent of respondents rated the activity as “Very Beneficial,” while 91 percent of respondents stated that they were “Very Satisfied” with the implementation of the activity. In addition, 79 percent of respondents stated that the event content “Greatly Increased” their understanding of Japan. These results indicate that the activity not only served as a competition but also provided educational benefits for the audience.

The 3rd Japanese Language Presentation Competition for the North Sumatra and Aceh Regions in 2024 served as a platform for Japanese language learners to develop their language and presentation skills while conveying ideas on issues developing in society. The activity also strengthened cooperation between the Undergraduate Program in Japanese Literature of FIB USU and various partners in supporting the development of Japanese language learning in the North Sumatra and Aceh regions.