Melville, NY, May 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, proudly sponsored the 21st Annual Japan Center Essay Competition Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 3rd, at Stony Brook University. The longstanding partnership between Canon U.S.A. and the Japan Center at Stony Brook exemplifies Canon’s dedication to empowering students, and the importance it places on supporting education.
Organized by the Japan Center at Stony Brook University, the essay competition provides students the opportunity to broaden their horizons and develop global citizenship by creatively relating an aspect of their personal lives to Japan. Students are encouraged to write about one or more aspects of Japanese culture such as art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their views, experiences, or goals.
“Since 2005, the Japan Center has partnered with Canon U.S.A. to host the annual essay competition,” said Dr. Iwao Ojima, President of Japan Center at Stony Brook University. “We are proud of working together for over 20 years to provide this opportunity to high school and college students. It is a pleasure for us to see the excellent work of the students, and we extend our congratulations to the winners and all the participants.”
The winners of the competition are selected by a qualified panel of judges and receive awards including Canon products. Sammy Kobayashi, President and CEO of Canon U.S.A., Inc., once again served as an honorary judge.
Representatives from the Japan Center at Stony Brook, Canon U.S.A., Inc., and the Consulate General of Japan in New York attended the award ceremony, alongside the winning students who each presented their essay to the audience. Jami Schultz, Vice President of Corporate Human Resources, Canon U.S.A., Inc., served as guest speaker at this year’s ceremony.
“It is an honor to attend the awards ceremony and speak to this talented group of students,” Schultz said. “Seeing these students share their unique experiences and how they’ve connected them to Japanese culture with such creativity and passion is inspiring. Education and empowerment are at the heart of Canon’s corporate philosophy, and the annual essay competition truly reinforces the importance of our partnership with the Japan Center at Stony Brook.”
1st Place Best Essay Award in the High School Division
- “Keeping the Shape: What Mujo Taught Me About Impermanence” by Chelsy Arrata (Locust Valley High School)
2nd Place Best Essay Award in the High School Division
- “Tadaima: A Small Space with a Deep Return” by Venus Huang (Staten Island Technical High School)
3rd Place Best Essay Award in the High School Division
- “Asadora: Exploring the Intergenerational Source of Inspiration for Japanese Women” by May Hachiya (Hunter College High School)
Best Essay Award in the College Division
- “One Roll, One Soul” by Teresa Li (Stony Brook University)
Uchida Memorial Award
- “The Concept of Ma and Learning to Embrace the Spaces In Between” by Anabela Garcia (Stony Brook University)
Special Award
- “Kokoro wo Komete” by Barry Jiang (Staten Island Technical High School)
- “Gaman: As Hands Tremble, the Heart Endures” by Chloe Wang (Stuyvesant High School)
- “In the Name of the Moon: A Magical Girl’s Journey” by Chloe Wong (College of Staten Island High School for International Students)
For the complete list of winners, finalists, and semifinalists, visit https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/japan/programs/essay-comp.
About Canon U.S.A. Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $29.5 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc., as of 2025 has ranked in the top-10 for U.S. patents granted for 42 consecutive years. † Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To learn more about Canon, visit www.usa.canon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/canonusa.
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† Based on patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and compiled by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.
- Canon U.S.A. Continues Support of Annual Japan Center Essay Competition at Stony Brook University