We have made the reluctant decision to outright cancel the 11th Japan Spelling Bee.
This decision was made after careful consideration and close consultations with Scripps and stakeholders following the concerns and uncertainties arising from travel disruptions and other circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. As Scripps cancelled the national finals for 2020, we at The Japan Times have also determined that there is no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020.
We seek the understanding of participants and their families who had looked forward to attending the competition in 2020 and regret any inconvenience this has caused.