In Spelman College's Cosby Academic Center, the Consulate General of Japan, the Japan-America Society of Georgia, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Georgia, and the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese organized the 17th Annual Japan Academic Challenge and Speech Contest. Students from schools all over the Southeastern United States came to participate in both the Speech Contest, where students memorized and gave speeches in Japanese, and the Academic Challenge, a quiz bowl focusing on Japan trivia.

For this year the grand prize was round-trip airfare to and from Japan for Level II (3rd- and 4th-year Japanese students), and the other Levels (I and Open) received gifts and participation certificates. In addition to the competition itself, martial arts performances were held by local martial arts students.