Two SBU Students Win Awards in Japan Center’s 21st Annual Essay Competition

The Japan Center of Stony Brook (JCSB) held an awards ceremony on May 3 for its 21st Annual Essay Competition, sponsored by Canon U.S.A. The goal of this competition is to celebrate diverse cultures and promote inclusion by offering college and high school students the opportunity to think creatively and critically about their lives by relating their experiences to some aspects of Japanese culture to broaden their horizons and develop global citizenship.

The Award Ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by Yasuko Fujita, chair of the Essay Competition. Iwao Ojima, president and chair of the JCSB Board of Directors, then presented an introduction of the Center's mission and activities, followed by warm greetings from David Wrobel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Jami Schultz, vice president of Human Resources at Canon U.S.A., Inc.; and Makiko Ai, director of the Japan Information Center and the Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Japan in New York.

Eriko Sato, executive director of the JCSB and principal judge of the competition, then presented the results of this year's competition, reporting that 175 essays were submitted from high schools and colleges across the New York metropolitan area, from which eight award-winning essays were selected through multiple rounds of screening by the JCSB committee and Stony Brook University faculty members.

The final selections were approved by Honorary Judges Satoshi Katahira, Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York, and Isao Kobayashi, President and CEO of Canon U.S.A., Inc. Two Stony Brook University students, Teresa Li and Anabela Garcia, were among the eight awardees in this year's competition.

Li, a junior majoring in biology on the pre-dental track, received the Best Essay Award in the College Division, along with a $3,000 prize and a Canon camera. Her essay, "One Roll, One Soul," reflects on her father's story of working hard and putting his soul into his sushi rolls, powerfully capturing the Japanese emphasis on dedication and effort rather than success alone. Chief Judge Murata noted that in Japanese thinking, doing one's best means one has not failed, and thus her father's hard work and tired hands carry great dignity.

Garcia, a senior majoring in health science and double minoring in English and biology, received the Uchida Memorial Award, along with a $1,000 prize and a Canon camera. Her essay, "The Concept of Ma and Learning to Embrace the Spaces In Between," thoughtfully reflects on the Japanese concept of ma and how the constant pursuit of productivity without pause can create anxiety and inadequacy. Chief Judge Murata commented that the essay beautifully captures the spirit of ma, often associated with the Daoist concept of wu-wei, or "non-action," and transforms the meaning of "progress" into an inner journey of quiet reflection and growth.

Since 2005, the competition has received a total of 4,193 essays from 300 schools across the New York metropolitan area. To enter the annual competition, contestants write in English about an aspect of Japan from their personal views, experiences and/or future goals; they do not need to have visited Japan or studied the Japanese language.

For more information, visit the Japan Center at Stony Brook website.