On July 12, 2025, around 100 participants, including 18 teams of high school and university students along with judges and staff, gathered at Kyushu University’s Ito Campus for the 22nd Exchange Debate Contest. Organized by the Japan Debate Association (JDA) Kyushu Chapter and co-sponsored by the Faculty of Languages and Cultures at Kyushu University, the event was chaired by Associate Professor Kota Jodoi from Kumamoto University, who also serves as the JDA Kyushu Chapter President.
Objectives of the Contest
The annual contest has three primary objectives: to provide novice debaters with the opportunity to engage in interscholastic debates, to foster interactions between high school and university students, and to support debate education in high schools. For many high school participants, this event represented their first visit to Kyushu University, with some noting the campus’s spacious and attractive environment.
Debate Topic and Format
This year’s debate topic was aligned with that of the National High School English Debate Tournament: “Resolved: That the Japanese Government should ban children under 16 years old from using social media.” Each team participated in three rounds of debate, following a power-pairing system that allowed teams with similar win-loss records to compete against each other beginning in the second round. Team A from Tochiku High School, comprising Aoi Yoshida, Kahou Kyou, and Hina Takeo, won the contest. Another team from Tochiku High School also remained unbeaten in the three rounds but placed second based on a slightly lower total speaker point score. Each participating school honored one member with a Best Speaker award.
Judges’ Feedback
Judge Yasuko Matsuda from Kurume High School commented on the significance of the debate topic, highlighting the meaningful engagement students had with both sides of the issue. Participants demonstrated strong analytical abilities, providing robust rebuttals and solid defenses during the debates. Following the rounds, the atmosphere among students was characterized by lively discussions and smiles.
Participation by University Students
Additionally, four teams of first-year students from Kyushu University participated voluntarily in the contest. Despite limited preparation time, these students actively engaged with their high school counterparts. Rina Narusawa, a first-year student recognized as Kyushu University’s Best Speaker, described the contest as a valuable experience, noting the refreshing aspect of formal debate formats and expressing admiration for the logical and expressive skills exhibited by the high school participants.
Future of Debate Education
The Faculty of Languages and Cultures’ Debate Education Support Group aims to continue its efforts in promoting debate education in the future. Further details about the contest are available on the JDA website, and inquiries can be directed to the specified email address.
Original source: Kyushu University.
