Congratulations and thank you to all the students and teachers who participated in the 2025 AATJ Nengajo Contest. We were thrilled to see the creativity, talent, and passion for the Japanese language and culture that the students demonstrated!
For the Year of Snake Nengajo Contest, we received a total of 497 qualified entries: 30 from Lower Elementary School, 30 from Upper Elementary School, 125 from Middle School, 295 from High School, and 17 from College/University. This does not include the 100 cards that were disqualified due to the following reasons: (1) naming conventions not followed, (2) non-compliance with category-specific rules, and (3) late submissions. The eligible cards were judged by about 25 Japanese professionals from across the country, who were not given any information about the students, schools, or teachers involved.
The selected cards represent the best of the best and showcase a tremendous amount of talent, creativity, and effort. All student participants received participation certificates. Students with winning cards received certificates and online Amazon gift cards as prizes.
2025 AATJ Nengajo Contest Results
| Category | Artistic | Comical | CGI | Encouragement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LES 1st |
Tamotsu Isozaki Kimie Matsumoto Southeast Japanese School |
Olivia Binschus Keiko Endo Fox Mill Elementary School |
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| 2nd | Sakura Adachi Kimie Matsumoto Southeast Japanese School |
Sora Ferguson Akane Shirata Washington Japanese Heritage Center |
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| 3rd | Ruby Fields Ayaka Monheim Great Falls Elementary School |
Taylor Tugman Emiko Nomoto Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School |
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| UES 1st |
Kaori Arasaki Kimie Matsumoto Southeast Japanese School |
Noah Del Manzo Lili Kennington Great Falls Elementary School |
Tyler Tsai Cynthia Rinehart Great Falls Elementary School |
|
| 2nd | Thomas Akikawa Kaori Iwai Washington Japanese Heritage Center |
Franco Cruz Emiko Furuya South Academy of International Languages |
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| 3rd | Emi Lee Chie Fujie Verdugo Woodlands Elementary |
Emma Goldel Lili Kennington Great Falls Elementary School |
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| MS 1st |
Moe Ho Kimie Matsumoto Southeast Japanese School |
Hana Smith Aya Tachiki Gulliver Prep |
Maya Mazur Alia Greenbaum Charles Wright Academy |
Sofia Ventimiglia Kristy Laidlaw Felix V Festa Middle School |
| 2nd | Alexandra Grinchuk Kristy Laidlaw Felix V Festa Middle School |
Meagan Nguyen Yoshimi Gallan Hayfield Secondary School |
Olivia Domingo Galiano Aya Tachiki Gulliver Prep |
Anju Fukudome Takako Reckinger Hamilton Int’l Middle School |
| 3rd | Madi Vaca Steven Trussell Burr Elementary School |
Jeremy Chen Yukiko Wilson East-West School of International Studies |
Elina Pan Catherine Fisco Hillside Avenue Middle School |
Karina Feng Fung Yukiko Wilson East-West School of International Studies |
| HS 1st |
Yukiko Hsu Kimie Matsumoto Southeast Japanese School |
Sophie Li Sandra Mizuno Eastlake High School |
Lucien Leeman Kei Tsukamaki Juanita High School |
Moe Ohnogi Asuka Maniwa Mills High School |
| 2nd | Theodore Nakamoto Jenny Shuman Novi High School |
Alex Havermann* Eimer Qiu* |
Julia Alcantar Sandra Mizuno Eastlake High School |
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| 3rd | Misaki Yagi Sachiko Iwami Palos Verdes Peninsula High School |
Raymond Johnston* Sarah Lujan* |
Alan Graham Madison Steakley Paschal High School |
|
| College 1st |
Madeline Storey Yuki Waugh Texas A&M University |
Marley Humbach Katharine Davis Washtenaw Community College |
Saraie Andujar Mako Nozu University of South Florida |
Henry Vicente Pastor Sumiko Gibson Aims Community College |
| 2nd | Sara Watts Yayoi Takeuchi University of North Texas |
Sadie Downing Shinji Shimoura William and Mary |
Rivers Hoag Shinji Shimoura William and Mary |
Caitlin Misao Zecca Shinji Shimoura William and Mary |
| 3rd | Jiayi Jiang Jinhwa Chang Mount Holyoke College |
Isabella Le Jinhwa Chang Mount Holyoke College |
Xing Yang Jinhwa Chang Mount Holyoke College |
*There are two 2nd place winners in the HS Comical and HS CGI categories.
