MHCC student wins trip to Japan with heartfelt speech

Published 2:09 pm Thursday, May 7, 2026

A pair of local college students shined at an annual competition, with one winning a trip to Japan as a grand prize.

Rin Nguyen, a second-year Japanese student studying at Mt. Hood Community College, was the grand champion at the 30th annual Toyama Cup, hosted by Japan-America Society of Oregon. That honor earned him a trip to the Toyama Prefecture, a mountainous part of Japan known for its hot springs and ski areas.

The Toyama Cup is a state-wide Japanese speech contest for students studying Japanese. They compete by giving speeches in Japanese that cover a wide variety of topics, from global issues and personal relationships to the many ways students have found connection through Japanese culture in language, art, and exchange.

Nguyen’s speech, “Thank You, Grandma,” was about his experience and growth by becoming a caretaker of his grandmother who suffers from dementia. He topped eight other competitors, including Eliana Bly (Lewis & Clark College) and Arfaan Karim (University of Oregon), who finished second and third respectively.

Mario Estrada Pena, another MHCC second-year Japanese student, took third place in Level 1 (lower division) with his speech: “Reaching Zero Through Wrestling.”

Oregon is a sister-state with the Toyama Prefecture. The speech contest debuted in 1996. The trips are funded by folks in Japan. Learn more about the Japan-America Society of Oregon online: https://jaso.org/