The 35th annual Japanese Speech Contest, co-sponsored by the Hokka Nichi Bei Kai (Japanese American Association of Northern California) and the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, will be held on Sunday, Nov. 2, at the consulate’s Japan Information Center, 50 Fremont St., Suite 2200.

The contest for middle and high school students will start at 9:30 a.m. and the contest for college students and adults at 1:30 p.m.

It is requested that applications for junior high and high school students be sent from schools that offer Japanese language classes as a foreign language, not from individuals.

For middle school and high school students, participation is limited to those who have not lived in Japan for more than 12 consecutive months after the age of 6.

The contestants will be divided into two categories: those who come from homes where Japanese is not spoken regularly and those who come from homes where Japanese is spoken regularly.

The top winners will receive certificates, cash prizes and awards. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible for entry. Each school may submit one student and one alternate student.

Application forms for middle school and high school students are available at the Japan Information Center from Hisako Takahashi, (415) 356-2461 or education@cgjsf.org.

Applications must be received by the Japan Information Center by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.

College students and adults must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.; be current college students or adults over 18 years of age; and not have lived in Japan for more than two consecutive years after the age of 6.

The top five winners will receive a cash prize and the top three winners will also receive a trophy. In addition, there will be a drawing for one round-trip ticket to Japan, courtesy of Japan Airlines. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible for entry.

Application forms for college students and adults are available at the Hokka Nichi Bei Kai office, (415) 921-1782 or 931-1826 (fax), from Kuniko Yagi, (209) 473-3488, or John Nishizawa, (925) 372-6915 or rockhanting99@yahoo.co.jp.

Applications must be received by the Hokka Nichi Bei Kai office by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.