The 21st Annual Student Haiku Contest Celebrates Creativity Across Languages
The 21st Annual Student Haiku Contest brought together young poets from across North America to celebrate the beauty of haiku and the power of language to connect people across cultures.
Organized by the Movement for Language and Culture (MLC) with the support of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations and the United Nations International School (UNIS), the Student Haiku Contest continues to inspire students to explore Japanese literary traditions while expressing their own experiences, cultures, and perspectives through poetry. Through the universal language of haiku, the contest fosters creativity, intercultural dialogue, and a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture among young people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
This year, the contest received more than 1,000 haiku submitted in Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) category.
The submitted haiku reflected a rich variety of perspectives, drawing inspiration from nature, family traditions, local customs, seasonal celebrations, and contemporary global issues. Together, they demonstrated how the simple yet profound form of haiku continues to connect people across languages, cultures, and generations.
Celebrating Excellence Through the SDG Haiku Award
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Haiku Award highlights poems that encourage reflection on global challenges and our shared future.
This year's finalists included haiku selected from the Japanese and Italian divisions. From these outstanding works, Ambassador Shigeru Umetsu, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, selected an Italian-language haiku as the recipient of the SDG Haiku Award.
Il tuo corpo Your body
Tra le onde disumane in the merciless waves
Invoca asilo cries out for refuge
Mrs. Filomena Veltri, United Nations International School (UNIS), New York
The winner received special SDG-themed commemorative gifts in recognition of this achievement.
Below are selected winning haiku from each language category, reflecting the creativity, sensitivity, and diverse perspectives of this year’s participants.
[Japanese Elementary Division 1st place]
ゆきだるま at night
よるにこっそり the snowman
あそんでる sneaks out to play
M.E. Grade 3, Japanese Language School of Philadelphia, PA, USA
[English Middle School Division 1st place]
spring morning
the smell of grass
green again
K. J. Grade 8, Paideia School, GA, USA
[French Middle/High School Division 1st place]
Il pleut doucement, It's raining softly,
une feuille sur mon arbre a leaf on my tree
ne tombe pas encore hasn't fallen yet
S. R. Grade 9, High Tech High School, NJ, USA
[GermanMiddle/High School Division 1st place]
Löwenzahnsporen Dandelion seeds
Millionen Luftpostbriefe Millions of airmail letters
Zwischen dir und mir Between you and me
U. M. Grade 9, United Nations International School, NY, USA
[ItalianMiddle/High School Division 1st place]
Gli uccellini the little birds
Volano controvento flying against the wind
Lasciano casa leaving home
D. T. Grade 8, United Nations International School, NY, USA
[Spanish Elementary Division 1st place]
Peces pequeños small fish
El agua brilla en el sol the water sparkles in the sun
Olas tan suaves such gentle waves
K. M. Grade 4, United Nations International School, NY, USA
An Inspiring Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony brought together students, teachers, families, judges, and supporters from across North America to celebrate the creativity and accomplishments of this year's participants.
We were honored by the presence of Ambassador Shigeru Umetsu, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, and Michelle Bett, Assistant Executive Director of the United Nations International School, whose participation underscored the importance of cultural exchange and international education.
Award recipients received certificates, prizes, and a digital commemorative anthology featuring congratulatory messages from Ambassador Umetsu, the award-winning haiku, and judges' comments.
The ceremony also featured a special keynote address by Caroline Hammarskjöld, founder of the Hammarskjöld Society. Reflecting on the legacy of her great-uncle, Dag Hammarskjöld, she spoke about the importance of peace, dialogue, and empathy, inspiring students to consider how literature and the arts can foster greater understanding across cultures.
Distinguished International Judges
The contest was judged by an internationally respected panel of haiku poets, editors, and scholars:
Japanese: Popona Tsukino
English: John Stevenson
French: Luce Pelletier
German: Eleonore Nickolay
Italian: Marco Fraticelli
Spanish: George Swede
Together, these distinguished judges represent decades of leadership in the international haiku community through their publications, editorial work, literary organizations, and educational outreach.
Looking Ahead
For more than two decades, the Student Haiku Contest has provided young people with an opportunity to discover Japanese culture, develop creative expression, and engage in meaningful intercultural dialogue.
As the contest continues into its 22nd year, MLC remains committed to expanding opportunities for students to connect across languages and cultures through the timeless art of haiku.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, the United Nations International School (UNIS), the Japan Foundation, our judges, teachers, schools, volunteers, families, and supporters, whose dedication continues to make this international celebration of poetry possible.
