33rd National Japan Bowl

Join us at the 33rd National Japan Bowl!

Dates: April 4-5, 2025

Venue: Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001

Registration

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Registration for the National Japan Bowl starts on November 20th and will remain open until January 31st. Registration will be completed online and all of the relevant links can be found on the Registration page.

A complete Japan Bowl Application will include:

  1. Completed Team Registration Form (Teacher/Lead Chaperone Registration)
  2. Completed Observer Registrations Forms, if applicable
  3. Completed Additional Chaperone Registration Forms, if applicable

All registration documents and payments must be submitted by Friday, January 31, 2025 to be considered complete.

Competition Guide

The 2025 National Japan Bowl Competition Guide is available for download!

This Guide is designed to help students and teachers form teams and prepare for the competition. It includes:

  • Competitor Eligibility Rules
  • General information about format, content, and rules of the National Japan Bowl competition
  • Registration Guidelines
  • Study Tips and Sample Questions to help you prepare

For information on the topics to study, please download the Japan Bowl Team Study Guide.

Study Guide

The 2025 National Japan Bowl Team Study Guide is available for download! To access the guide, complete a quick survey to tell us who you are and where you’re coming from. Upon completing the survey, the study guide will be emailed to you. Don’t forget to download the Gestures Guide as well – no survey required!

The National Japan Bowl Team Study Guide is compiled each year by the National Japan Bowl Council in coordination with the Japan-America Society of Washington DC.


The National Japan Bowl is America’s premier Japanese-language competition, now in its 33rd year. Each spring the Japan-America Society of Washington DC welcomes 200 of the country’s top high school Japanese language students to the nation’s capital for the competition.

For more information about participating in the 33rd National Japan Bowl, contact the Japan Bowl Team at [email protected].