The annual Hamaguchi Essay Contest 2025 is now open for submissions. This international contest invites young people to reflect on Japan’s well-known tsunami resilience story, Inamura-no-hi, and share their personal insights, thoughts, and experiences related to disaster preparedness and coastal resilience.
About the Hamaguchi Essay Contest
The contest is part of the broader Hamaguchi Award initiative, which recognizes individuals and organizations contributing significantly to enhancing coastal resilience against tsunamis, storm surges, and related disasters. The award was established in 2016 in connection with the United Nations’ designation of November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day. The contest aims to promote education and awareness among youth, who will play a key role in the future of disaster prevention.
The Story of Hamaguchi Goryo
The award and contest are named after Mr. Hamaguchi Goryo, a historical figure from Hirogawa town in Japan's Wakayama Prefecture. In 1854, following the Nankai Earthquake, Hamaguchi saved many lives by setting fire to his rice sheaves to guide villagers to safety before a tsunami struck. His post-disaster efforts, including constructing shelters and coastal defenses, significantly reduced subsequent damage. This act of selflessness is remembered as Inamura-no-hi—"the burning of the rice sheaves"—and serves as a powerful lesson in leadership and preparedness.
Learn more about this story:
Inamura-no-Hi Resource Site
Essay Theme
Participants are encouraged to read the story of Inamura-no-hi and write about their personal reflections:
-
What thoughts or feelings did the story evoke?
-
How does it relate to your understanding or experience of disaster resilience?
-
What lessons can be applied today?
Submission Guidelines
-
Eligibility: Students enrolled in a school or organization equivalent to a Japanese high school as of August 14, 2025.
-
Length:
-
English: Up to 700 words
-
Japanese: Up to 1600 characters
-
-
Language: English or Japanese
-
Format: Typewritten essay with a title and personal information using the official format (provided by the organizers).
-
Submission: Via email (address provided by the organizers).
-
Deadline: August 14, 2025
-
Original Work: Essays must be original, unpublished, and written by a single author.
Awards
-
Excellent Award: Up to 3 winners
-
Award: Up to 15 winners
-
Certificates: Given to all winners by mail; participation certificates sent via email
-
Recognition: Excellent award winners will be featured during the 2025 Hamaguchi Award Ceremony, including photo or video presentation if possible.
-
School Support: Each school or organization of the excellent award winners will receive 100,000 yen to support tsunami or coastal disaster resilience efforts.
Results
Winners will be announced on the PARI (Port and Airport Research Institute) website around late October 2025.
- Hamaguchi Essay Contest 2025 Flyer(PDF)
- Submission Format Style of Hamaguchi Essay Contest 2025
- Introduction of the Award essays of Hamaguchi Essay Contest 2024 (PDF)
This blog aims to provide uptodate information on various competitions for Indian students 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving your comment. Your comment will appear here after moderated by the administrator. Only comments having proper names of the person with a genuine content will be considered for publishing.