Over 100 Students Compete at Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl

High schoolers from Washington and Oregon test their Japanese language and culture knowledge at annual regional competition.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 12:49pm

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Over 100 high school students from across Oregon and Southwest Washington gathered at Clark College on February 28 for the ninth annual Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl, a regional Japanese language and culture quiz competition. The event, owned and operated by the Japan-America Society of Oregon, saw a record number of participants this year. Students from Churchill High School in Oregon, Woodinville High School in Washington, and International School of Beaverton in Oregon emerged as champions in the senior, junior, and sophomore divisions, respectively, earning spots to represent the region at the National Japan Bowl championships in Washington, D.C. in April.

Why it matters

The Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl promotes cultural exchange and language learning among high school students in the region, helping to build connections between the Pacific Northwest and Japan. The competition also provides an opportunity for top students to advance to the national level, showcasing their skills on a broader stage.

The details

The Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl featured 37 teams from 13 schools in Oregon and Washington competing in three different levels. In the senior division Level Four finals, a team from Churchill High School in Oregon beat out teams from International School of Beaverton and Kamiak High School. In Level Three, students from Woodinville High School in Washington came out on top against teams from International School of Beaverton and Roosevelt High School in Oregon. And in Level Two, a team from International School of Beaverton took first place, with their second team and Woodinville High School rounding out the top three.

  • The ninth annual Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl was held on February 28, 2026.
  • The National Japan Bowl championships will take place on April 17-18, 2026 in Washington, D.C.

The players

Evan Lopez, Ember Maricle and Oliver Munsell

Students at Churchill High School in Oregon who won the senior division Level Four finals of the Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl.

Se-hun Kim and Alex Ko

Students at Woodinville High School in Washington who won the Level Three competition of the Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl.

Emma Chang, Owen Jin and Natalie Flores

Students at International School of Beaverton in Oregon who won the Level Two competition of the Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl.

Japan-America Society of Oregon

The organization that owns and operates the Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl competition.

Clark College

The college that hosted the ninth annual Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl.

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What’s next

The winning teams from the Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl will represent the region at the National Japan Bowl championships in Washington, D.C. on April 17-18, 2026.

The takeaway

The Pacific Northwest Japan Bowl demonstrates the strong interest and talent in Japanese language and culture among high school students in the region. The competition provides an important platform to celebrate this interest, foster cultural exchange, and give top students the chance to showcase their skills on a national stage.