2018 ILLINOIS JAPAN BOWL PROCEDURES AND STUDY GUIDE Sponsored by the Japan America Society of Chicago www.jaschicago.org 1 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2475 Chicago, Illinois 60602 TEL 312-263-3049 FAX 312-263-6120 EMAIL kono@jaschicago.org
2018 ILLINOIS JAPAN BOWL The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl, sponsored by the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC), will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018. The event will take place at North Central College s Wentz Science Center, 131 S Loomis, Naperville, IL. The event will begin at 10:00 AM and conclude by 2:30 PM. The purpose of the Japan Bowl is to recognize and encourage high school students across the country who have chosen Japanese as their foreign language and to make the study of Japanese language, history and culture both challenging and enjoyable. The Japan Bowl was first held in 1993 in Washington, DC. In 2015, the Japan America Society of Chicago organized the inaugural Illinois Japan Bowl. The Illinois Japan Bowl is an academic competition which covers a wide range of topics that tests high school students who are studying the Japanese language across the state of Illinois. The competition tests not only their knowledge of the language, but also their understanding of traditional and modern Japan. For 2018, the Illinois Japan Bowl will be open to students enrolled in Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 Japanese language classes in Illinois. Teams are comprised of two or three students. Each spring, teams from all over the country travel to Washington, D.C. for the National Japan Bowl, which has become one of the highlights of the city s Cherry Blossom Festival. This guide describes the administrative procedures for the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl, including eligibility requirements, application and registration procedures, deadlines, location and facilities, and the dress code. It also includes a tentative schedule for the event, which is subject to change. Please read the entire guide carefully. In the months before the competition, there might be changes to the information contained in this Guide. Participants will be informed promptly of any changes that are made. Copies of this guide and all required forms can be downloaded from the Japan America Society's website, www.jaschicago.org. For more information or to register, contact Erika Kono at 312-263-3049, extension 25 or via email at kono@jaschicago.org LOCATION The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl will be hosted by North Central College. The competition will be held in the Wentz Science Center, 131 S Loomis, 2 nd Floor, Naperville, IL. North Central College is located within easy walking distance from the Naperville Train Station, which is serviced by METRA s BNSF line. There is convenient parking on the campus of North Central College.
DATE & TIME The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Team registration will begin at 9:30 AM, with the official program scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM. The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl will conclude by 2:30 PM. Event staff and volunteers are asked to arrive at North Central College by 8:00 AM to set up the competition room and make other preparations. SCHEDULE Time Description 8:00 AM Door opens for event staff; set-up begins 9:30 AM Team registration starts 10:00 AM Opening Ceremony 10:30 AM Teams move to the competition room and take their seats 10:45 AM Competition Round 1 11:15 AM Break 11:30 AM Competition Round 2 12:30 PM Lunch & Cultural Program 1:30 PM Closing Ceremony (Tie Breaker Rounds if necessary) 2:00 PM Presentation of Trophies 2:30 PM Event concludes; clean up begins for volunteers ELIGIBILITY This academic competition covers a wide range of topics that tests high school students who are studying the Japanese language across the state of Illinois. The competition tests not only their knowledge of the language, but also their understanding of traditional and modern Japan. Student Eligibility The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl is open to full-time students who are currently enrolled in Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 Japanese language classes at a high school in the state of Illinois. These levels correspond to the equivalent level of high school Japanese language study:
Level 2 Students enrolled in 2nd year high school level Japanese language study Level 3 Students enrolled in 3 rd year high school level Japanese language study Level 4 Students enrolled in 4th year high school level Japanese language study or in AP Japanese As per the National Japan Bowl Regulations, the level of Japanese language study is based on the course level, and not the number of years that a student has studied Japanese in high school. For example, a high school sophomore who began Japanese language study in elementary or junior high school might be studying with high school seniors in Level 3 and therefore would be eligible for the Level 3 team. The following rules about Japanese language education and experience govern eligibility: a. Students who are native speakers of Japanese or who use Japanese at home are not eligible to compete. b. Students who have spent more than a total of three months in Japan on a study or homestay program or who have had significant exposure to Japanese language and culture outside the high school curriculum are not eligible to compete. (Significant exposure can include the presence of a native Japanese language speaker in the home, frequent or occasional trips to Japan, time spent in Japan, outside tutoring, summer camps, immersion programs, etc. For questions, please contact the Japan America Society of Chicago.) c. Participation is permitted at one level higher than the student's current high school level of Japanese studies, but is not permitted at any level lower than his/her current level. d. If a student participates in the Illinois Japan Bowl at one level higher than the one at which he/she is currently enrolled, that student will not be able to participate in a future Japan Bowl at the same or a lower level. e. Students taking the AP Japanese Language and Culture course are eligible to compete in the 2018 competition at Level 4. Team Formation Each school may send up to 3 teams to participate in the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl. All team members must be formally studying Japanese at the same high school. A team must consist of two or three students. Teams of one student are not allowed. The organizers of the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl strongly encourage schools to form teams of three students instead of two. Chaperones
Each participating school must have at least one adult chaperone who is 21 years of age or older. Usually the students' Japanese language teacher serves as the chaperone, but there is no requirement that the chaperone should be the teacher. Chaperones are responsible for the well-being of her/his student(s) throughout the time that they are in participating in the Illinois Japan Bowl. At the time of registration on Saturday, March 10, 2018, all chaperones will be asked to present a valid government-issued photo ID such as driver's license or passport. If a chaperone is not present at registration or any of the rules about chaperones are not followed, the team will not be able to participate in the competition. COST & FEES Participation in the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl is free of charge. Box lunch and t-shirts will be available for students and chaperones only. Participants are responsible for providing their own transportation to/from the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl. APPLICATION Applications for the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl must be received no later than Monday, February 26, 2018. Applications should be submitted to Erika Kono at the Japan America Society of Chicago, either by fax (312-263-6120) or by email (kono@jaschicago.org). Submission of Forms Misrepresentations and/or other irregularities on an application form which become apparent at the time of registration or during the competition may result in the disqualification of the student and possibly his/her team members. Depending on the severity of the infringement, the Organizers of the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl may also prohibit the student(s) and possibly the entire team or school from participating in the competition in the following year. We therefore ask students, parents/guardians, and teachers to take an active role in the application process to ensure that there are no errors or misunderstandings. When in doubt, please contact Erika Kono at kono@jaschicago.org. Upon receiving the Illinois Japan Bowl Application Form, the Organizers will screen all applications to determine each applicant's eligibility. The Organizers will send confirmation to the team s representative via e-mail. ONSITE REGISTION Registration Procedures on March 10
Registration will be conducted from 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 10. Registration will take at Ratio Hall, 2 nd Floor in the Wentz Science Center. Registration will be conducted by school, not by team. Therefore, all team members and chaperones from the school must be together at the time of registration. The chaperone(s) must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license or passport). Substitution of Students after Team Approval After teams have been notified of their acceptance and registration, substitutions will be permitted only if a student becomes ill or there is some other valid reason. All substitutes must meet the same eligibility requirements. Therefore, the required application forms for the proposed substitute must be submitted to the Organizers of the Illinois Japan Bowl for review. The Organizers decision of whether to accept a substitute is final. If a substitution is not permitted, the team may compete with two students - but not with just one.
COMPETITION FORMAT The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl is open to high school students who are enrolled in Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 Japanese language instruction. For each level, the competition will be comprised of two rounds of 25 questions. Each competition round will be 30 minutes, with a break between rounds. Each team will be seated together at a table in one large room and compete with all other teams at the same time. The competition round is closed to the general public, except for teachers/ chaperones. The public is invited to attend the opening ceremony, cultural program and closing ceremony. Each question will be worth 2 points. All questions will be projected, using PowerPoint slides, on a large screen. American and Japanese moderators (native speakers) will read the questions. Each question will indicate how the answer should be given: in English, in hiragana, in kanji, etc. (See the list of answer icons below.) After each set of 25 questions is read, students MUST put their pens and pencils down and stop writing when told to do so by the moderator. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from the competition. Questions will be read only once, except for Japanese comprehension questions, which will be read twice. Conferring among team members is allowed. All teams must write their answers clearly and legibly on the team answer sheet. Any member of a team may write the answer(s) to the question. As described above, the slide will give the answer icon, and the moderator also will state in which language form the answer should be written. Answer Icons EN English JP ABC Any combination of Japanese (kanji, hiragana, katakana but not romaji) hiragana katakana kanji Multiple choice
RO romaji for Japanese names* 123 Western numerals *Any commonly-used variant of romaji can be used. For example, Tokyo can be written as Tokyo or Toukyou. A newspaper can be shinbun or shimbun. A map can be chizu or tizu. There is a 30-second time limit for answering each question. However, 60 seconds will be allotted for questions that require translation from English to Japanese. The clock begins when the moderator has finished reading the question. The timekeeper will call a 10 seconds warning. At the end of the allocated time, the timekeeper will call time, and the slide will advance to the next question. Although you may keep working on questions after the time has expired, you will run the risk of missing the next question. There is no partial credit for partially correct or incomplete answers. There is no penalty for an incorrect response or an incomplete answer. The judges decisions are final. When answering in full sentences in Japanese, teams must use the polite forms ( ), unless otherwise instructed. Students should write their answers clearly and legibly on the team answer sheet. Any answers that are difficult for the judges to read or identify may result in an incorrect answer. Therefore, students should take care to write their answers carefully. In the case of a tie, the teams will participate in a sudden death tie breaker round. Teams will be asked a series of questions. Each team will be given a buzzer: the first team to buzz in will be given the opportunity to answer. If they are unable to answer correctly, the other team will be given the opportunity to answer. INCOMPLETE/PARTIAL ANSWER EXAMPLES It is important that students be as specific and accurate as possible. Example 1 Japanese MODERATOR: English MODERATOR: What did the older brother buy? Answer in English. ANSWER: The correct answer is "a black motorbike, motorcycle, motor scooter, etc. - something that indicates that it is propelled by a motor. If you say or write just the word "bike," your answer is incomplete, because the English word 'bike" can also mean a pedaled bicycle. You also must include the color of the bike (black) to make it a complete response.
Example 2 English MODERATOR: In the Japanese calendar, what year is this? Answer in Japanese. ANSWER: A correct answer must include "Heisei," the number, and "nen," to demonstrate that you know not just the number of the year but also the name of the reign (Heisei) and the standard term ("nen") used in Japanese when expressing the year.
RULES OF CONDUCT Dress Code All participants are expected to dress in an appropriate manner. Participants may wear their official 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl T-shirts during the competition. T-shirts will be distributed on the morning of the event at registration. For boys, slacks and collared shirts are recommended. Shirts must be tucked in. For girls, dresses, skirts, blouses, and slacks are recommended. Please note: No jeans, shorts, T-shirts (except for the official Illinois Japan Bowl T-shirt), tank tops, caps, hats or head coverings (except for religious wear), athletic attire or sneakers, miniskirts, bare midriffs, or flip-flops are permitted during the competition Grounds for Disqualification Challenging or showing lack of respect to Illinois Japan Bowl officials, staff, or volunteers by either a student, teacher, or chaperone Inappropriate dress Use of offensive language The Organizers of the Illinois Japan Bowl have the sole right to determine, in its own judgment, whether any action requires disqualification. Misrepresentations and/or other irregularities on an application form which become apparent at the time of registration or during the competition also may result in the disqualification of the student and possibly his/her team members. Depending on the severity of the infringement, the Organizers may also prohibit the student(s) and possibly the entire team or school from participating in the Illinois Japan Bowl at any Level in the future years. We therefore ask students, parents/guardians, and teachers to encourage appropriate behavior, in order to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.
ILLINOIS JAPAN BOWL STUDY GUIDE Non-Language Topics ALL LEVELS No matter what your level is, study the non-language topics listed in the highlighted column below. Year 1 (2018) Year 2 (2019) Year 3 (2020) History Edo/Tokugawa Era 1603-1868: well-known events, people, and terms The Modern Era (Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei) 1868-present: well-known events, people, and terms Classical/Medieval Era 794-1603: the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, and Azuchi-Momoyama periods: well-known events, people, and terms Arts and Culture (both traditiona l and modern) Visual Arts, including painting, prints, sculpture, ceramics, ikebana, handicrafts, classic films, and architecture (including landscape architecture) Literary Arts, including famous authors and novels, Japanese literary forms, folk tales and children s stories Performing Arts, including kabuki, bunraku, noh, kyogen, theater and drama, traditional music, tea ceremony, etc. Social Sciences Physical Geography: Nature, the environment, flora and fauna, agriculture and fisheries, climate, natural phenomena and disasters, all related to Japan Japan s political and economic systems: politics, government, foreign affairs, national symbols; business and industry, transportation, famous companies and products Political Geography: Names and locations of regions, major islands, prefectures, major cities, mountains, seas, lakes, rivers, etc. in Japan Daily Life and Society Festivals, holidays, seasonal events, celebrations Manners and etiquette in Japan, Japanese gestures and body language Rites of life (birth, school, marriage, death, etc.); religion and religious practices Popular Culture Japanese popular culture, with a focus on youth and "kawaii" culture, including anime, manga, pop music, fashion, characters and mascots, iconic foods, etc. Food, drink, clothing, houses, things in and around Japanese homes Martial arts, sports, and traditional Japanese games
Current Events US-Japan relations Major events and developments in Japan s politics, economy, international relations and society during the 12 months prior to the National Japan Bowl. Note: Current events questions will be asked only during the Championship Round. The US-Japan connection: Interaction between the two countries in the topics listed above Language Topics This Section describes the kinds of language topics that the Japan Bowl will include in the 2018 competition. Idiomatic Japanese The Japan Bowl includes idiomatic Japanese as a language enrichment topic. The Japan Bowl selects idiomatic expressions that are used frequently in Japan; have some cultural or historical interest; and/or express a common English idiom, but in a different way. The lists of idiomatic expressions that will appear in the 2018 Japan Bowl are highlighted in yellow below. 2018 2019 2020 Idiomatic Japanese Language of feelings: expressions using ki and kokoro Japanese idioms, proverbs, and yojijukugo Expressions using the names of parts of the human body, such as me, te, etc. Gitaigo/Giongo (Onomatopoeic Expressions) Gitaigo and giongo (onomatopoeic expressions) are an important part of the Japanese language. Because the words repeat, they are also fun to hear and say.
Katakana Teams will be asked to give the English equivalent of Japanese words written in katakana. Here are some examples: Part-time work Turn signal (on a car) Mexico Channel (on a TV) Button or peony Students also will be expected to write some English words in katakana, as the Japanese commonly use and write them. Here are some examples: Studio (TV/Radio) Television Germany Taxi French fries Affective Expressions Affective expressions are words that, while short, express subtle nuances of the speakers intentions or emotions. Aisatsu Aisatsu are polite and generally fixed phrases that the Japanese use in particular situations. Knowing (a) when to use and (b) how to respond to these polite aisatsu phrases is an important part of interpersonal communication in Japan, and is integral to Japanese culture and society. For example, when a Japanese person leaves the house, (s)he will say. The person who stays behind sends them off by saying,.
LEVEL II LISTS Required Kanji Reading and Writing Students should be able to read and write these kanji and give their meanings in English. Most kanji, but not all, used in the Japan Bowl will come from these lists. Students should also be able to read and write common kanji compounds formed by kanji in this list. a. Students should know the following kanji b. Students should know common kanji compounds that use kanji in the above list, for example: ( )
( ) ( ) () ( ) () This Year s Special Topics in Kanji Level II students should be able to read, pronounce, and know the meaning of the following words and concepts: Family Names in Kanji Level II students should be able to read and pronounce the following family names: Tanaka Yamada Yamaguchi Nakamura Kimura Hayashi Honda Place Names in Kanji
Level II students should be able to read and pronounce the following place names: Major Cities of Japan Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Yokohama Nagoya Major Islands of Japan Honshu Kyushu Shikoku Hokkaido Okinawa Oceans and Seas Pacific Ocean (Taiheiyo) Sea of Japan (Nihonkai) Idiomatic Japanese Level II students should learn the following: Get along with someone/be compatible
Be interested in someone or something/feel inclined to do something Be sensible/smart, tasteful/thoughtful/tactful/sensitive Get distracted/get off track Notice/realize something/become aware/be attentive Recover consciousness/come to one s senses Take a fancy to something/feel inclined/be moved or tempted to do something To understand each other well/relate to Be narrow-minded Be generous/broad-minded/big-hearted Feel supported/backed up/confident Gitaigo/Giongo (Onomatopoeic Expressions) Level II students should learn the following:
Affective Expressions Level II students should be able to understand and use the following affective expressions: Aisatsu Level I aisatsu phrases: - - () / Level II students are expected to know how to use and respond to the Level I aisatsu listed above, as well as to the following phrases: -
LEVEL III LISTS Required Kanji Reading and Writing a. Level III students should know the following kanji, plus those in the Level II list
b. Level III students should know common kanji compounds that use kanji in the Level II and III lists, for example: ( ) ( ) () ( ) ( ) This Year s Special Topics in Kanji
Level III students should be able to read, pronounce, and know the meaning of the following words and concepts, plus those in the Level II list: Family Names in Kanji Level III students should be able to read and pronounce the following family names, in addition to the family names listed for Level II: Takahashi Yamamoto Matsumoto Inoue Kobayashi Yoshida Matsushita Place Names in Kanji Level III students should be able to read and pronounce the following place names, in addition to the place names listed in Level II: Cities of Japan Fukuoka Sapporo Hiroshima Sendai
Regions of Japan Kanto Kansai Tohoku Chubu Chugoku Idiomatic Japanese Level III students should learn the following idioms, in addition to the Level II idioms: Pay attention to another s needs/fuss or worry about/attend to/take into consideration Take care/pay attention/be careful Attract someone s attention Pull oneself together/completely rethink Do wholeheartedly/put one s heart into something To trust/relax one s guard
To steel oneself/harden one s heart Thoughtfulness, care, concern, consideration Gitaigo/Giongo (Onomatopoeic Expressions) Level III students should learn the following, in addition to those at Level II: Affective Expressions Level III students should be able to understand and use the following affective expressions, in addition to those at Level II: 4.9 Aisatsu Level III students are expected to know how to use and respond to the following phrases, in addition to those at Levels I and II:
LEVEL IV LISTS Required Kanji Reading and Writing a. Level IV students should know the following kanji, plus those in the Level II and III lists
b. Students should know common kanji compounds that use kanji in the Level II, III, and IV lists, for example: ( ) ( ) () () ( ) This Year s Special Topics in Kanji Level IV students should be able to read, pronounce, and know the meaning of the following words and concepts, plus those in the Level II and III lists: Family Names in Kanji Level IV students should be able to read and pronounce the following family names, in addition to the family names listed for Levels II and III: Sato Watanabe Ito Kato
Sasaki Shimizu Suzuki Nomura Place Names in Kanji Level IV students should be able to read and pronounce the following place names, in addition to the place names listed for Levels II and III: Cities of Japan Kobe Kawasaki Nara Nikko Nagasaki Major Prefectures of Japan Kanagawa Aichi Hyogo Mountains, peninsulas, seas Mt Fuji Japanese Alps Izu
Inland Sea Airports Narita Haneda Itami Well-known areas of Tokyo Ginza Shinjuku Ueno Shibuya Akihabara Harajuku Asakusa Idiomatic Japanese Level IV students should learn the following idioms, in addition to those in the Level II and III lists: Be pleased with someone or something/to suit
Weigh on one s mind/be concerned or worried about To resonate/strike a chord with something To have a deep/warm/keen feeling or impression about something To remember Gitaigo/Giongo (Onomatopoeic Expressions) Level IV students should learn the following, in addition to those in the Level II and III lists: / Affective Expressions Level IV students should be able to understand and use the following affective expressions, in addition to those at Levels II and III: Aisatsu Level IV students are expected to know how to use and respond to the following phrases, in addition to those at Levels I, II, and III:
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