March 14th, 2023
The "Dean Okawara Award" ceremony was held to honor students for their outstanding achievements in their extracurricular activities.
On the afternoon of March 14, the "Dean Okawara Award" ceremony was held in the Global Studio of the library on the Main Campus to honor students who have achieved outstanding results in national and world-class competitions in extracurricular sports and cultural activities.
For the first time, a sit-down discussion was held between Dean Okawara and the 15 attendees. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including reports on each student's achievements, their daily practice status, and how they got started in the sport. After listening to the students' comments, Mr. Okawara expressed his gratitude by saying, "I would like to thank you all for the wonderful results you have achieved through your daily practice. I hope you will continue to devote yourselves to better competitions and cultural activities in the future," he said in words of encouragement.
On behalf of the award winners, Ms. Mari Yakimoto (2nd year, Japanese Language and Literature) of the calligraphy club said, "I have been blessed to have been able to continue calligraphy for eight years since I started at the affiliated junior high school. I am filled with joy and gratitude because I was able to receive an award this time. I was also able to hear valuable stories from people who are involved in other club activities and extracurricular activities that I rarely come into contact with on a daily basis, and it was a great learning and stimulating experience. Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity."
After that, the baton and cheerleading clubs performed the Celebration Dance to congratulate the attendees.
The winners of the 2022 Dean Okawara Award are as follows.
Affiliations with Off-Campus Organizations (individuals division)
Mari Sawa (2nd year, Japanese Language and Literature)
Shiho Watanabe (2nd year, Human Environmental Sciences)
On-Campus Organizations (individuals division)
Calligraphy - Mao Ueda (4th year, Japanese Language and Literature)
Mari Yokemoto (2nd year, Japanese Language and Literature)
Suzuna Shimada (2nd year, Japanese Language and Literature)
Chiharu Ikeda (1st year, Human Environmental Sciences)
Canoe - Yukiho Hiwatashi (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Mio Kobayashi (3rd year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Rin Fukuda (3rd year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Sayaka Oshima (2nd year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Ami Kumaoka (1st year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Yuui Tomisawa (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Swimming – Matsuri Arai (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Gymnastics - Aiko Sugihara (2nd year, Junior College Health and Sports Sciences)
Volleyball - Manaho Miyashita (3rd year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Fuuka Miya (1st year, Early Childhood Education)
Track and Field - Miu Kishino (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Akari Funada (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Competitive Ski - Hina Fujiki (3rd year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Taekwondo - Yukiko Niwa (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences)
Mina Isomura (2nd year, Health and Sports Sciences)
March 13th, 2023
A dome has been completed at the Koe Memorial Hall to remind the survivors of the deep ties between Mukogawa Women's University and Turkey.
In an effort to support the victims of the major earthquake that struck southern Turkey in February, students from the School of Architecture completed a dome (Reciprocal Dome) with 1,000 paper cranes hanging from the basement floor of the Koe Memorial Hall. Mukogawa Women's University has had a long and deep relationship with Turkey's Bahçeşehir University, having concluded a general exchange agreement with the university in 2008. Among other things, the School of Architecture hosts international students from Turkey, and the Center for Turkish Cultural Studies continues to exhibit and conduct research related to Turkish architecture and culture. President Erdoğan of the Republic of Turkey visited the university in 2019 and received the title of "Honorary Doctor of Mukogawa Women's University".
In response to this background, class organizers of the School of Architecture, led by the alumni association, began to fold 1,000 paper cranes immediately after the disaster to pray for the safety of the victims. In addition, the students from other faculties also wanted to know about the relationship between Turkey and the University, so they came up with the idea of creating a place on the central campus to symbolize their support. The full-scale follies (pavilions) on display in the architecture studio have a reciprocal dome structure, in which small parts support each other to form a large dome, and the decision to relocate them was based on the belief that they are appropriate for the spirit of mutual support that is indispensable in supporting the disaster zone.
The unique structure of the hexagonal ceiling is supported by six pillars. Students hung colorful paper cranes from the ceiling in the image of Sendai's Tanabata Festival. In front of the dome, panels showing the exchange between the Faculty of Architecture and Bahçeşehir University were displayed. Inside the dome, origami paper and message cards are available, and there is a space where visiting students can freely fold cranes and leave messages.
Azusa Satake, a second-year student in the Department of Landscape Architecture, said, "We came up with the idea mainly through our class secretary and decided on the combination of the dome and origami cranes. We hope that the dome will be a place where students can unite their feelings to call for donations to support the disaster-stricken areas in Turkey.”
For the areas affected by the earthquake in Turkey, the Brown Rice Volunteers have been calling for donations at the "Smile Fest" held at LaLaport Koshien in February.
March 8th, 2023
Second place in the "Miyasama Ski Competition International Competition Mogul for a junior at MWU.
Hina Fujiki, a junior in the Competitive Skiing Club's Health and Sports Science Department, placed second in the 94th Miyasama Ski Tournament International Competition Mogul held on March 5th at the Sapporo Bankei Ski Resort.
At the Asia Cup the 32nd Sapporo Mogul Competition 2023 (hosted by Sapporo Ski Federation and Hokkaido Ski Federation) held the day before, she skied well but made a mistake and placed 6th. In the following competition, she revised her mistake leading to a better performance.
Ms. Fujiki has finished second or higher in four of the six All-Japan-level events this season, and is expected to do even better at the 43rd All-Japan Ski Championships (hosted by the All Japan Ski Federation) to be held in Toyama Prefecture on March 18th and 19th.
March 6th, 2023
Associate Professor Toshiyuki Habu of the Department of Food and Nutrition received an award in the scientific journal "FASEB BIOADVANCES" .
"UBC13 is an RNF213-associated E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, and Lysine 63-linked ubiquitination by the RNF213- UBC13 axis is responsible for angiogenic activity" (co-researcher: Associate Professor Kouji Harada, Department of Environmental Health and Sciences, Division of Social and Health Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University) was the most cited "Top cited article" among articles published during the period 2021-2022. This is a study on the causative factors of moyamoya disease, which is a common disease in Japan.
Moyamoya disease is a common disease in East Asia, especially in Japan, Korea, and China, with an approximate frequency of 1 per 10,000 people in Japan, most commonly in women, and presents as cerebral hemorrhage or stroke. Our research group has shown that a polymorphism (p.R4810K), in which arginine replaces lysine at position 4810 of the enzyme encoded by the RNF213 gene, is shared in affected families as a causative factor. However, the function of the enzyme has not been clarified. In this study, the factors that influence the nature of the enzyme and its effect on vascular cells were identified," he explained.
Upon receiving the award, he said, “Moyamoya disease is a designated intractable disease and relies on surgical treatment. It is also related to other vascular diseases, and we believe that it will contribute to research in the field of vascular diseases, and we expect to develop therapeutic drugs for vascular diseases," he said.
March 6th, 2023
Aiko Sugihara, a member of the gymnastics club, taught gymnastics to children at "Shitemiru," a hands-on sports event for beginners in Higashiosaka City.
Higashi-Osaka City's hands-on sports event for beginners, Shitemiru, was held at the Higashi-Osaka Arena on February 25. Aiko Sugihara, Higashi-Osaka City Sports Mirai Ambassador and a second-year student of the Mukogawa Women's University Gymnastics Club (Junior College of Health and Sports), taught the children how to perform gymnastics.
Shitemiru is a sports event held since 2019, inviting top athletes to enjoy and experience sports together. This year, Ms. Sugihara, who has competed in two Olympic Games, including a 5th place finish in the women's team gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics, served as the instructor.
A total of 60 children in the first through third grades of elementary school in Higashiosaka City participated in the event, enjoying mat exercises, vaulting boxes, and other gymnastic events. The children's parents and other family members were also eagerly watching the event.
The Mayor of Higashi-Osaka City appoints people who are from the city or have a connection with the city in the field of sports as Higashi-Osaka City Sports Mirai Ambassadors in order to promote the city through sports.
After the event, Ms. Sugihara said, "This was the first time for me to hold my own gymnastics class, so I was nervous and anxious, but I was relieved to see the smiles on the children's faces. Sports is fun and leads to good health, so it makes me happy to see them enjoy sports from childhood through opportunities like this," she said.
March 4th, 2023
The 3rd International Women's Day MUKOJO Forum was held.
On March 4, before International Women's Day on March 8, the 3rd International Women's Day MUKOJO Forum (hosted by the Gender Equality Promotion Office and co-hosted by the Institute for Women’s Career Advancement and Gender Equality Development was held in the large lecture hall of the Koe Memorial Hall, both face-to-face and online.
In commemoration of the establishment of the Institute for Women’s Career Advancement and Gender Equality Decelopment in April 2020, Vice Governor Mie Katsuno of Tokushima Prefecture and President Yuko Takahashi of Tsuda College delivered keynote speeches on the theme of "Creating a Society Where Women Can Have Active Roles". Vice Governor Katsuno spoke of Tokushima Prefecture's efforts to increase the number of women in decision-making bodies, using the prefecture's low gender gap index as an example of how the percentage of female presidents and the percentage of women on councils and other bodies is among the highest in Japan. President Takahashi also pointed out the significant impact on students of the university landscape where, despite the narrowing of the gap between male and female university enrollment rates, the number of women disappearing as they enter graduate school and advance in faculty positions. She called on students to have the courage to voice their doubts, which will change the landscape of universities and eventually become a force for pushing women into politics and the economy.
In a panel discussion titled "What should be done to create gender equality at universities and in society?" Vice Governor Katsuno, President Takahashi, Vice President Kawai, and Kyoko Takahashi, Director of the Institute for Women's Advancement Studies, participated as panelists and facilitators, respectively. The panelists explored ways to promote gender equality, focusing on "universities" and "society." The panelists confirmed the significance of women's universities in empowering women in Japan, where the difference regarding gender is still severe.
Of the three winners of the essay contest, whose theme was "Considering Lifelong Career Design" and which was solicited on campus, Ms. Nishide and Ms. Yamamura gave speeches and were awarded the Grand Prize and the Prize for Excellence.