Government of France-Embassy of France in Japan - "Robert Guillain Reporter au Japon" Award

Benefit

You will receive a return flight Paris-Tokyo-Paris plus 2,000 EUR to spend between two weeks and one month in Japan and report on a topic of your choice. The trip usually takes place within six months of the award ceremony. The prize is awarded annually by the Association de Presse France-Japon (APFJ), a Franco-Japanese press association, in partnership with Shiseido and with the support of the Japanese Embassy in France. Both written and audiovisual projects are welcome.

Eligibility

• Who you are: You are a young journalist or a journalism student.
• Nationality: You are French.
• Age: You are between 18 and 35 years old.
• Your project: You are to produce a project on Japan – in written or audiovisual form – on a topic of your choice.
• Proof of status: If you are a student, please provide proof of enrolment at any journalism school. If you are already in employment, please provide a press card or examples of published articles.

How to apply

Please email your application to the APFJ by 6 June. Please include a summary of your proposed report (max. four pages), a one-page CV with a photograph, and proof that you are studying journalism or working as a journalist. A jury comprising French and Japanese journalists, as well as representatives from the partner organisations, will select the winner from the applications without conducting an interview.

How realistic are your chances?

Only one person is awarded the prize each year, so it is more of a single, highly competitive award than a broad-based scholarship. The selection criteria are narrow: you must be a French citizen, aged between 18 and 35, and be working or studying journalism, which keeps the pool of applicants small. A compelling, clearly focused idea for a feature on Japan and a strong track record set the winners apart from the crowd – so pay particular attention to the summary.