On 4 June, the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, together with the United Nations International School and the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese, organized a student Haiku Contest and Awards Assembly, co-sponsored a student Haiku Contest and Awards Assembly at the United Nations International School (UNIS) where over 120 of the poems have been on display.

About 1000 poems in Japanese and English were submitted this year by students and ranging from elementary school to high school, as well as some teachers who participated in the teacher’s division. Awards were given to the top 3 winners of the 7 divisions, and each winner was able to read their haiku to the audience. The poems were noted by the judges for their originality, ability to evoke the reader’s senses, etc.

Ambassador Shigeki Sumi attended the Awards Assembly, which opened with a short concert by one of the most talented violin students at UNIS. Ambassador Sumi expressed great satisfaction on the increasing popularity of the Haiku Contest over the years in his remarks to the participants.

The exhibit of poems ran for about two weeks in the United Nations International School.