Conditions of Entry PDF Print E-mail

  1. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an Australian school in Year 10, 11 or 12.
  2. Applicants must not speak Japanese as their first language.
  3. Applicants must not have spent longer than six months in Japan.
  4. Applicants must have resided in Australia for more than 5 years, and must be an Australian citizen or have been granted Permanent Residency in Australia.
  5. Applicants must possess a valid passport.
  6. Applicants must not have previously participated or been invited to participate in the JSA Exchange Program.
  7. Applicants are ineligible to apply if both their parents are native speakers of Japanese.
  8. Speeches must be no longer than 5 minutes in length.
  9. Speeches are to be based on a topic of the applicant’s choice, to ensure that students will be able to speak about their topic independently in Japanese, should they progress to the International Final. 
  10. A maximum of 3 applicants may be entered per school. Teachers may choose to hold an in-school speech contest to determine the school representatives.
  11. Speeches must be recorded in one session only. Edited video files will not be accepted (this includes pasting recording sessions together and digital enhancements).
  12. Applicants must have access to a computer with a broadband internet connection and a PC microphone headset, if selected to participate in a Skype interview. The applicant may participate in the interview from home or from a computer lab at their school.
  13. JSA Japan will provide the airfare from the successful candidate’s nearest airport to Narita Airport (Tokyo) and from Narita Airport (Tokyo) to the candidate’s nearest airport. The winning candidate must bear his or her own travel expenses to and from their nearest airport, however every effort will be made to assist candidates in rural areas.  
  14. JSA Japan will also provide accommodation, meals, transportation costs and health insurance for the duration of the successful candidate’s stay in Japan. However, any incidental costs (i.e. personal spending money) will be borne by the candidate. (Please note that the insurance does NOT cover candidates while they are in transit to and from Japan.)
  15. In the event that the 15th Annual JSA Cross-Cultural Exchange Program is cancelled due to unforseen circumstances, the successful candidate will be awarded an alternative prize and will be entitled to proceed to the finalist stage of the following year's contest without reapplying, should they be eligible.