Ninth ESUJ University Debating Competition:
ICU Regains the Crown!

ESUJ's major activity, the University Debating Competition in English, was held for the ninth time this year on Sunday and Monday, October 8 and 9, at the Yoyogi National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, with 32 teams from 25 universities taking part. On the first day, the four preliminary rounds took place. The motions were announced 20 minutes prior to the start of each debate, after which all the teams departed for one of 16 debate rooms to battle with all their might, using both brain and body power. On the morning of the second day, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation and tension as the eight teams advancing to the final rounds were announced. From here on out, tournament rules were followed. All teams fought hard, and at the end of a wonderful championship match between ICU 1 and Keio Team 1 on the merits of 'national pride', ICU 1 debating for the Opposition emerged the victors, 12-1. Congratulations!

1st Prize:		International Christian University 1 (Akira KOHBARA, Toshiaki IKEHARA)
2nd Prize:		Keio University 1 (Keisuke NIWA, Hana TAKAHASHI)
3rd Prize:		Kobe University 1 (Kenta YAMADA, Mika SHIOMI) Seikei University (Rieko HIGASHI, Yusuke SAKAMOTO)
Baroness Brigstocke Best Speaker Prize:		Toshiaki IKEHARA（ICU）

Motions:

R1:		This House believes that cell phones are anti-social.
R2:		This House would support a matrilineal emperor.
R3:		This House believes that the anxiety toward the aging society is over-exaggerated.
R4:		This House believes that a pre-emptive attack is justifiable for national defense.
Q.F:		This House would make corporate donations to charity compulsory.
S.F:		This House believes that the Koizumi Government was bad for Japan.
Final:		This House believes that cultivating national pride in Japan will lead the nation to a better future.

ESUJ's competition differs from others in that a non-Japanese team is invited from England to participate in the program and the MC, judges, chairpersons and volunteer staff include many working persons. This year, over 100 'adults' served as volunteers. Thank you one and all. Also greatly appreciated are the ten months of preparatory work put in by the event's core managers, Tournament Director Keiko Shindo (Keio), and Assistant TDs Arata Okuyama (ICU) and Yusuke Mizuno (Seikei), along with the rest of the committee members. Next year we will have our 10th Anniversary Competition (October 7 and 8).

UK Team Active on Many Fronts

Again this year ESU London's James Probert lead an English team of five to Japan to interact with students at various venues from October 2-10. After landing at Narita late in the evening of Oct. 2, the team flew down to Fukuoka the following morning for their first official activity, the Kyushu Seminar, which took place at Kyushu University, where the 120 seats of the International Hall were filled to capacity. The event was of major interest mainly to university students in the Kyushu area, but high school students, working persons and members of the teaching profession were also present. In addition to a model debate there were lectures in both Japanese and English, providing a substantial program which was well-received by those who attended. On Oct. 4, the team moved to Osaka for the Kansai Seminar at Osaka Prefecture University. The next day they enjoyed a half-day of sightseeing in Kyoto before traveling to Tokyo. On Oct. 6, they gave a seminar at ICU High School, followed in the evening by a JPDU seminar focused on the world competition, successfully completing a program jam-packed with activity.

=UK Team Profile=

Every year ESUJ London selects four participants from a group of outstanding debaters. All students enjoyed their first glimpse of Japan and like Japanese food! Their first morning in Japan, they all ordered the Japanese breakfast and manipulated their chopsticks adroitly. (Recently there has been a big Japanese food "boom" in London, and eating with chopsticks in a Japanese Restaurant is 'cool'.) The students are aiming at becoming barristers (court lawyers) and specializing in International Politics or International Relations, hoping to be active on the international stage. This Japan tour is a valuable experience for them.

Twinkle Race at Oi

A gathering to enjoy an autumn evening at the races took place on October 20 (Friday) at the Oi Racecourse. A group of 30 persons assembles annually to enjoy the races and includes many foreign fans. Numbers this year were split evenly between Japanese and non-Japanese and included English, American, Indian, Italian and German participants, for a festive international evening in the VIP Room on the fifth floor of the new building. With a glass of wine in hand as the thoroughbreds sped like arrows, our spectators cheered them on, wondering which horse the Goddess of Victory would smile upon. Beginners' luck seemed to prevail! (jaundiced view of a veteran???)