Press Release
JAL Foundation Promotes Cultural Exchange Through 9th World Children’s Haiku Camp
Tokyo, Thursday June 15, 2006: Winners of the 9th World Children's Haiku Contest organized by the JAL Foundation have been invited to participate in this year's World Children's Haiku Camp 2006 to be held in Matsuyama, Japan from July 26 to July 31.
Haiku is a traditional form of classic Japanese poetry using only 17 syllables, through which writers express their deepest emotions by describing, for example, nature in a simple but beautiful language.
From October 2005 to this March, the JAL Foundation supported by Japan Airlines and many educational centers worldwide, promoted the 9th World Children's Haiku Contest in elementary and junior high schools. Over 22,000 children in 25 countries entered the competition by writing haiku to express their thoughts on the word `home'.
Prizes and certificates of merit were awarded to the top entries from each country, and from the winners twenty-three children were selected to join the World Children's Haiku Camp 2006.
Home is family
Place where you can be yourself
Without pretending
(Written by Felicia aged 13 from Indonesia who will be a participant in this year's Haiku Camp).
Children from 17 countries will attend this year's camp to be held in Matsuyama city from July 26 to July 31. Joining winners from Japan will be children from Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UK and USA.
Located in Ehime Prefecture Shikoku, Matsuyama was the hometown of the famous haiku poet, Matsuoka Shiki (1867-1902), the founding father of modern haiku, and is considered by many to be the world capital of haiku.
During their stay, the children will be able to get to know each other, as well as meet children from the local area. They will also go sightseeing, experience traditional Japanese culture, and attend a summer festival and fireworks display. The highlight of the camp is the World Children's Haiku Summit where children present the haiku they will have created during their stay. < More >>>
Founded in 1990, the JAL Foundation organizes cultural events linked to transportation themes on behalf of the JAL Group. The Foundation supports the World Haiku Contest with the aim of nurturing creative vision and encouraging international exchange through haiku poetry.
The JAL Foundation together with Japan Airlines provides support including round trip flights on Japan Airlines for the winners, plus accommodation, meals and transportation in Japan.
The World Children's Haiku Poetry Contest and Camp have been held biannually since 1990.
For more information on the work of the JAL Foundation, please visit: http://www.jal-foundation.or.jp/indexe.htm
###
For customer & general enquiries, please contact your local JAL office: www.jal.co.jp/en/information/inter/branch/
Journalists with media enquiries, please contact the press office: geoffrey.tudor@jal.com / stephen.pearlman@jal.com
Tel: 81-3-5460-3109 / Fax: 81-3-5769-6487/ www.jal.com/en/corporate/
|
| Haiku 2006.pdf |
