Makaiya Harris, first place winner of the advanced group, receives a gold medal at the 54th Annual Japanese and English Speech Contest at the Sinfonia Iwakuni in Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 8, 2015. Japanese contestants wrote their own speeches in English and American students delivered theirs in Japanese. The ultimate goal of the speech contest is to promote understanding and friendship between Americans and Japanese. - Makaiya Harris, first place winner of the advanced group, receives a gold medal at the 54th Annual Japanese and English Speech Contest at the Sinfonia Iwakuni in Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 8, 2015. Japanese contestants wrote their own speeches in English and American students delivered theirs in Japanese. The ultimate goal of the speech contest is to promote understanding and friendship between Americans and Japanese.