Competition · Online
A nationwide Japanese essay contest run since 1981 by the Ministry of Justice and the civil liberties commissioners, in which junior high students write about human rights based on their own experiences. Entries go through regional contests run by each Legal Affairs Bureau.
Essays of up to 5 sheets of 400-character manuscript paper (handwritten or typed) on the importance of fundamental human rights, drawn from family, school or community experiences. National prizes include the Prime Minister's Award, Minister of Justice Award and MEXT Minister's Award. Selected winning essays are translated into English on the MOJ website. In FY2025, 721,058 essays came from 6,377 schools.