Japan Times Spelling Bee

What Is the Japan Times Spelling Bee?

The Japan Times Spelling Bee is a prestigious English spelling competition organised in association with The Japan Times, one of Japan's most respected English-language newspapers with over a century of history. The competition provides school-age students across Japan with a structured, high-profile opportunity to compete in English spelling at a national level.

It stands as one of the most recognised academic English language competitions in Japan, celebrating the country's strong tradition of English language study and drawing competitors from schools across the country — from international schools to mainstream Japanese institutions with strong English programmes.

Who Can Participate?

The Japan Times Spelling Bee is open to school-age students studying in Japan, typically spanning junior high and high school grades. The competition welcomes both Japanese students and international students attending schools in Japan. Participants register through their schools, with top performers advancing through preliminary rounds to reach the national final held in Tokyo.

Competition Format

The Japan Times Spelling Bee follows the classic oral spelling elimination format. Competitors stand before a panel of judges and spell their assigned word aloud, letter by letter. Before attempting to spell, contestants may ask the judges to:

• Repeat the word
• Use the word in a sentence
• Provide its definition
• State its language of origin
• Identify its part of speech

One error eliminates the competitor. The competition builds in difficulty across rounds, with the national final in Tokyo drawing the strongest competitors from schools across Japan.

The Word List and What to Study

Words at the Japan Times Spelling Bee are drawn from a broad academic English vocabulary spanning science, literature, history, and everyday language. Latin and Greek roots are strongly represented at advanced levels, as are words of French, German, and Old English origin.

For Japanese students, who approach English from a language with fundamentally different phonology and orthography, understanding the logic of English spelling through etymology is especially powerful. Rather than trying to match English sounds to katakana equivalents, the most effective competitors learn to recognise Latin and Greek word-building patterns — making the spelling of even unfamiliar words predictable and logical. Knowing that phon- means "sound" in Greek immediately explains telephone, microphone, and symphony without ever having memorised them directly.

How to Prepare Effectively

Preparing for the Japan Times Spelling Bee requires consistent, long-term study rather than short bursts of intensive memorisation. Here is what the top performers consistently do:

• Start at least 12 weeks before competition day — spaced repetition needs time to build lasting memory
• Study Latin and Greek word roots — especially valuable for Japanese learners approaching English logically
• Learn word patterns for French, German, and Old English borrowings
• Practise spelling aloud every day — essential for building verbal recall under pressure
• Use a spaced repetition system to review words at scientifically optimal intervals
• Simulate competition conditions — stand, speak clearly, and spell in front of others

Why the Japan Times Spelling Bee Stands Out

The Japan Times Spelling Bee holds a unique place in Japanese education. For students in a country where English is a crucial academic and professional skill, competing in a high-profile English spelling competition demonstrates a level of language mastery that goes well beyond the standard school curriculum.

The competition is associated with The Japan Times — a publication with over a century of history as Japan's leading English-language newspaper — which lends it a prestige and media visibility that few other academic competitions in Japan can match. Winning or placing highly is a distinction that stands out on any academic or university application, and the vocabulary and confidence built through preparation last a lifetime.