Japan in a Minute Online Video Contest

Eligibility

Individual participants or groups of participants of all ages residing in Australia or New Zealand are invited to enter. Any participant 17 years or younger appearing in any entry must submit a completed parent/guardian consent form.

A maximum of two entries will be accepted per entrant, whether submitted as an individual or group entrant.

Entries by native speakers will be accepted; however, entries submitted by native speakers of Japanese will be ineligible for additional credit for Japanese language use in their videos.

Professionals and specialists in their area are also invited to apply.

Entry length

Entries should, in principle, be one minute in length; however, entries up to three minutes in length are valid for entry.

Entry categories

Unlike last year’s “What’s your J-Talent?” contest, this year’s contest dispenses with categories. Simply submit a short video entry on what your “Japan in a Minute” looks like — it could be about your favourite memory of Japan, a special Japan-related skill you have, or simply what you love or miss about Japan.

Judging Criteria

Entries will be judged on the following basic criteria:

Content

• Entry expresses ingenuity is imaginative and expressive
• Entry is original
• Entry displays a fresh and exciting perspective or element of surprise
• Entry displays a solid understanding of the target Japanese culture

Video

• Entry uses effective sound/acoustics and video editing
• English subtitles are attached/provided (if Japanese language features in entry)

Japanese Language (applicable for non-native Japanese speakers only)

• The meaning of Japanese words used can be recognised, pronunciation is clear, and voice volume and speed are appropriate
• Opinions are fully communicated using Japanese

Entry submission format

Upload your video entry to your own channel on YouTube from Friday, July 2, including the hashtag #japaninaminute in your title. Include the YouTube link to your entry in the contest entry form. Include details about your entry and the idea behind your video in the video description.

Subtitles

If your entry contains spoken Japanese, you must include subtitles in your entry. Check out our video on how to easily add subtitles to your YouTube video.

Copyright

Copyright breaches (e.g., using music or video in your entry that was not created by you, or that you do not have permission to use, etc.) will not be permitted. Evidence of copyright permission must be submitted with entry (if applicable).

Need inspiration?

A few ideas to get you started are below:

• Compile your own best-of Japan video from your Japan travels
• Vlog your favourite sushi bar or Japanese restaurant
• Embark on a KonMari method challenge
• Record yourself cooking your favourite Japanese meal
• Build a model of your favourite Japanese landmark
• Design and film a new origami design, never before seen
• Film an original mini-screenplay in Japanese using only N5 vocabulary
• Show off your calligraphy, ikebana, or tea ceremony skills
• Perform a martial art 
• Compose original haikus or tanka poetry in English or Japanese
• Perform a Japanese traditional dance
• Play a Japanese traditional musical instrument
• Show us your rendition of your favourite J-pop track through song or dance
• Cosplay of Japanese characters
• … or anything else – use your imagination!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: ONLINE VIDEO CONTESTS

“JAPAN IN A MINUTE”

These are the Terms and Conditions (Terms) of entry for upcoming online video contests (the Contest), conducted by The Japan Foundation (ABN 80 285 889 155), Level 4, Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale NSW 2008. Please read the Terms carefully because you will be deemed to accept them if you enter the Contest.

For all questions relating to this Contest, please contact The Japan Foundation at: japaninaminute@sydney.jpf.go.jp.

1. Contest Period

1.1 The next Contest opens on Friday 2 July 2021 at 4.00 pm AEST and closes on Wednesday 6 October 2021 at 11.59 pm AEDT (the Contest Period).

2. The Prizes

2.1 The winners of the Contest will be able to select their prize (the Prize, up to a value of AUD1,500 for first prize, AUD1,000 for second prize, AUD500 for third prize and AUD250 for each honourable mention) from a prize pool, the total value of which is AUD5,000. For the full list of prizes within the prize pool, see www.sydney.jpf.go.jp/japaninaminute.

2.2 Notwithstanding clause 2.1, a winner in any of the Staff Pick and Fan Favourite categories will receive the following prize (also, the Prize), which includes:

(a) 1 x AUD100 Madman voucher
(b) AUD50 Kinokuniya voucher or credit
(c) AUD25 Blippo surprise kawaii bag
(d) Japan Foundation furoshiki
(e) Japan Foundation tote bag
(f) JR Central bullet train diecast model

2.3 Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable (including for cash), and a winner may not request that all or any part of a Prize will be substituted for other benefits or items.

2.4 If any part of the Prize becomes unavailable for any reason beyond the control of The Japan Foundation, a similar prize of equal value will be made available in place of the Prize.

2.5 Other than the cost of the Australia Post “tracked parcel” delivery charge for delivery of the Prize, winners are responsible for any taxes for which they may be liable as a result of winning a Prize, as well as for any expenses not specifically mentioned as being included in the Prize.

2.6 The stated value of the Prize is based on estimated or recommended retail prices (including GST) at the date of publication. The Japan Foundation accepts no responsibility for any change in the value of the Prize between that date and the date on which the Prize is delivered to a winner.

3. Who can Enter

3.1 The Contest is open to any citizen or resident of Australia and/or New Zealand.

3.2 Entrants who are under 18 will, however, also need to submit with their entry a signed consent from their parent or guardian.

3.3 Notwithstanding anything else in these terms and conditions, the Contest is not open to:

(a) any employee of The Japan Foundation or of any parent company, subsidiary, agent or affiliate of The Japan Foundation, including a company or organisation that has provided a Prize for a Contest (together, Affiliates); or

(b) members of the immediate families of employees of The Japan Foundation and Affiliates.

3.4 Notwithstanding anything else in this clause 4, any Prize in the prize pool that includes any alcoholic beverage or product or any service or product that by law is unavailable or not open to people who are under 18 years of age is not available for redemption to any entrant under that age.

4. How to Enter

4.1 Entrants must:

(a) make a short video about Japan (ideally of about one minute in length, including credits, and in no case longer than three minutes, noting that no additional consideration will be given to a video merely because it is longer than one minute);

(b) include Japanese subtitles in their entry, if spoken Japanese is used;

(c) upload the video to their own YouTube channel, including the hashtag #japaninaminute in their video title;

(d) go to www.sydney.jpf.go.jp/japaninaminute and fill in the entry; and include the YouTube link to their video and

(e) accept the Terms, confirming that they have read and understood them (including that they are Australian or New Zealand residents and that they are either over 18 years of age or are also providing a consent form to enter from a parent or guardian).

4.2 Entrants may enter no more than twice, but each entrant is only eligible to win one Prize and the following will be invalid:

(a) entries received outside the Contest Period;

(b) entries that do not comply with the Terms;

(c) entries that:

(i) infringe any third-party copyright (including any copyright in music or recordings);

(ii) include any trade mark or logo (other than, for school-age entrants, on school uniforms or buildings); or

(iii) include footage of any identifiable person who has not agreed to be included in the entry;

(d) entries that The Japan Foundation, in its sole discretion, determines are fraudulent (including entries that misrepresent the eligibility of the entrant); and

(e) (where a Contest is conducted on a social media platform) multiple entries from a single individual using multiple accounts on the one social media platform.

4.3 The Japan Foundation may, in its sole discretion, disqualify any entry that in its view is (or is potentially) objectionable, including (without limitation) any entry that is not reasonably comprehensible or infringes a third-party’s rights. or is defamatory, obscene, insulting, inflammatory or discriminatory; or is likely to damage its reputation or the reputation of any affiliate or donor or sponsor of a Prize.

4.4 Entry is free but entrants are responsible for any costs or charges they may incur in entering.

5. Winner/s

5.1 Winner[s] will be selected from all correct, valid and eligible entries received on the basis that their entry is Japan-related and/or suitably addresses the contest name “Japan in a Minute”.

5.2 All decisions concerning the winning entry will be final and binding on entrants in all respects, and no correspondence will be entered into.

5.3 Winners will be published online at www.sydney.jpf.go.jp/japaninaminute within 30 days of judging the Contest. All reasonable endeavours will be made to contact the winners during this time.

5.4 A Prize may be forfeited (with no substitute offered) and an alternative winner or winners selected in accordance with the winner selection procedure set out above if a winner:

(a) cannot be located;

(b) does not adequately respond to notification that they have won a Prize before November 1, 2021;

(c) does not accept an element of the Prize as arranged with The Japan Foundation;

(d) does not or cannot provide The Japan Foundation with proof of identity and/or residence or any other document relating to eligibility to enter if requested by The Japan Foundation to do so; or

(e) does not comply with any Term.

5.5 The Japan Foundation reserves the right, in its absolute discretion but subject to relevant State and/or Territory law, to cancel the Contest and not award a Prize if The Japan Foundation is unable to proceed with the Contest (including any judging and/or draw) as a result of circumstances beyond its control including, without limitation, pandemic, vandalism, hacking, computer virus or bugs, server breakdown, acts of terrorism, acts of God, civil unrest, strikes and power failures.

6. Warranties, limitations, releases and consents

6.1 Entrants grant The Japan Foundation and Affiliates an irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide and transferable licence to publish their entry and their name, including the right to sub-license these in association with the Contest (including on social media).

6.2 Entrants promise that entries will be original and will not infringe any third-party rights (including copyright and trade marks) and will not breach any law or any obligation of confidentiality.

6.3 Winners must agree to be photographed and/or filmed in relation to their win, including at any event associated with the delivery or handing over of a Prize, and entrants grant The Japan Foundation and Affiliates the right to take and to publish such photographs and/or footage and to use an entrant’s name for promotional purposes without additional consent or any additional payment from The Japan Foundation or any third party.

6.4 To the maximum extent permitted by law:

(a) The Japan Foundation takes no responsibility and makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, in relation to any Prize, including but not limited to warranties of reliability, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose;

(b) entrants waive any right to claim from The Japan Foundation for any disappointment, costs, expenses, loss or damage suffered that arises out of or in connection with owning or using a Prize; and

(c) all liability for any defects whatsoever in or relating to the Prize remains with the relevant supplier or manufacturer.

6.5 Neither The Japan Foundation nor any Affiliate will be responsible for any late, illegible, lost, incomplete, postage due, misdirected or mutilated mail, or any electronic miscommunication or failure, of any kind, (or any other event outside the reasonable control of The Japan Foundation or any Affiliate) which may limit or prevent an entrant from participating in the Contest and/or collecting, receiving or being notified of any Prize and/or which results in any damage to, delay of or loss of a Prize during or after delivery once it has left the possession of The Japan Foundation.

7. Personal information

7.1 As part of running the Contest and awarding and delivering a Prize, The Japan Foundation may collect personal information of entrants (Personal Information).

7.2 Except as otherwise provided under clause 6, any Personal Information of entrants will be used by The Japan Foundation:

(a) for the purpose of conducting and promoting the Contest (including verifying eligibility, delivering a Prize and complying with any applicable Commonwealth, State or Territory law); but otherwise

(b) only in accordance with its Privacy Policy (available at https://sydney.jpf.go.jp/privacy-policy).

8. General

8.1 Entrants agree:

(a) to comply with all reasonable conditions of use of a Prize and any reasonable requirements of any person or organisation that supplies a Prize;

(b) to conform to all applicable Australian laws and regulations; and

(c) to conform to any relevant website terms and conditions (including any terms and conditions relating to the use of social media where a Contest is run via a social media platform).

8.2 These Terms constitute the entire agreement between an entrant and The Japan Foundation and supersedes and extinguishes any previous agreement, arrangement or understanding between them (whether written or oral) relating to the Contest or any other subject matter set out in these Terms.

8.3 These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of that State.

Understanding Copyright

Under Australian law, copyright material can be used for research or study purposes, as long as it is not used excessively. Licensed music is covered for this use in all government schools in Australia by an agreement with APRA (Australasian Performing Rights Association). However, this right does not extend to uploading videos to the internet. Videos that use copyright material without permission will not be accepted in any online video contest run by The Japan Foundation, Sydney. As such, we strongly encourage participants to use music from the Creative Commons, where music is available for public use.

All Entrants must also ensure there are no corporate logos shown during the video. This includes anyone wearing and/or displaying corporate logos. Entrants are advised to remove or obscure labels/brand names from any commercial products used in their videos. (School uniforms are exempt from this condition.)

The entrant retains copyright over their work, but by entering the Online Video Contest, the entrant grants permission to The Japan Foundation, Sydney to reproduce the video on any Japan Foundation websites and social media channels, to use the video for instructional purposes, and to screen entries for public viewing and promotional purposes. See our handy hints below for more information.

Using online content

You must have permission to use any online content you include in your video entry. Look for content that have creative commons licences. If you’re unsure, check out this video that provides details on the different ways content under creative commons licences can be used.

Music

All music and images used must be:

• Accompanied with the appropriate permissions and clearances.
  Original, permitted or copyright-free.
  Credited/acknowledged when filling out the registration form.
• The entrant is responsible for ensuring that the film does not infringe the rights, including but not limited to, copyright or intellectual property etc. of another person, group or entity. The Japan Foundation, Sydney cannot provide any legal advice on copyright issues.

The internet provides as a huge resource bank of music and interesting sound effects which are free to use, sample, and remix. Some helpful sites are below:

• creativecommons.org/legalmusicforvideos
• ubu.com
• silvermansound.com/free-music

Images

Images that you use for your entry needs to be original, or unrestricted for your use by copyright. Here’s a list of creative commons and royalty free sites:

• Flickr.com (search The Commons)
• gettyimages.com.au (Search Creative Commons)
• istockphoto.com
• FREEIMAGES
• Pixabay