By DAISUKE YAMAMOTO/ Staff Writer
April 15, 2022 at 07:00 JST
Ami Nakazono, a second-year student at the Fukuoka Prefecture-run Yahata High School in Kita-Kyushu, shows off the medal and trophy she won in the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship. (Daisuke Yamamoto)
KITA-KYUSHU--A photo of Ami Nakazono shows her using a computer at the tender age of 3.
Inspired by her mother, a PC teacher, Nakazono, now 17, was absorbed in computers while playing with typing-practice software.
She won a national competition as a sixth-grader in elementary school, where contestants show off how fast and how accurately they can type.
As a second-year high school student, Nakazono reached the global top spot in November in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet division of the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship.
The event was organized on the internet, with representatives of 33 countries and regions demonstrating their prowess on the U.S. company’s Office apps.
Among global participants who are mainly students at colleges and technical schools, Nakazono became the first Japanese high school student to win the competition in its 19-year history, making her accomplishment truly remarkable.
Nakazono became interested in Excel during a class at the Fukuoka Prefecture-run Yahata High School in Kita-Kyushu.
Because “handling it looked like a difficult, challenging task,” she honed her knowledge and skills to adeptly navigate Excel.
She took an exam in March last year and was selected from among 20 candidates to take part in the international contest on behalf of Japan.
In an interview to select national representatives, she repeatedly vowed to “become a world champion.”
While she loves watching videos on YouTube and listening to pop music like many high schoolers, Nakazono’s strong, competitive spirit helped her stay true to her word.
“It would be so regrettable if I lose to myself,” Nakazono said.
Currently, Nakazono dreams of finding a job that takes advantage of her aptitude for English. She has never traveled outside Japan despite her global champion status, and one goal for her is getting into a college and then going abroad to study.
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