Address by His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince at the Awards Ceremony of the 34th JAPAN PRIZE International Educational Program Contest
Monday, October 29, 2007
NHK Broadcasting Center
It is a great pleasure for me to join the many participants from around the world at this award ceremony of the 34 th JAPAN PRIZE.
As international society continues to seek true prosperity and peace, and confronts the challenges of poverty, war and environmental destruction, the role of education only continues to increase. It is through education that we learn the wisdom of those who came before us, encounter new knowledge, and learn to understand different cultures and ways of thinking.
I have, through this annual JAPAN PRIZE competition, been able to observe both the issues of contemporary education in the world today and the people who tackle them in seeking ways forward. I deeply respect the cooperation of all those people around the world who have nurtured the JAPAN PRIZE during its 40-year history, and the enthusiasm of all the program makers.
There were 262 entries for the three sections of this year's contest, and one more country was taking part for the very first time. I have heard that the Program Division included many works that took up new educational themes with fresh modes of visual expression, and that the Proposal Division received many entries from program makers who are working diligently to spread the benefits of education more widely through the broadcasting medium.
The Proposal Division is now in its fifth year, and I believe we can say that great hopes depend on the encouragement that it gives to program makers who are struggling in various difficult situations, and on the opportunity that it provides to make outstanding programs.
Broadcasting has extremely important roles to perform in the building of a prosperous future. I believe that this gathering of participants from all over the world at the JAPAN PRIZE is truly significant for the sharing of knowledge and experience, and for striving together to improve educational broadcasting.
I trust that the JAPAN PRIZE educational broadcasting contest will continue to develop and flourish.