February 21st, 2023

Learning Support Volunteer "Fudebako" received the "Yoshitaka Murai Award".

Fudebako, a volunteer group that provides a place for children with foreign roots to stay and study, has received the Yoshitaka Murai Award from the Japan Society of International Volunteer Studies. The Yoshitaka Murai Award honors the aspirations of Yoshitaka Murai, an economist who studied and practiced the ideal of Japan and developing countries, and is given to an individual or organization based in Japan that engages in practical activities to connect communities around the world.

Fudebako" is a group of students from different departments who meet every Wednesday afternoon at the Mukogawa apartment complex. The group help with tasks such as homework to children who find it difficult to speak Japanese due to their foreign roots, and plans and implements learning activities and seasonal events through activities to create a place for them to be.

Kiki Tajika (pictured right), a first-year student in the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, commented on the award, "When I see the children asking me for help with their math homework and happily talking about school and playing together, I feel like I am playing a part in creating a place where the children can belong, which is very rewarding. It's very rewarding. Tamami Toochi (pictured left), a third-year student in the Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, who is the representative of the Fudebako, said, "I am so honored to receive this award because of the activities of our seniors," adding, " Fudebako is a perfect activity for students who are thinking of working with children in the future. Any student who loves children is welcome to join us," she said, inviting new members to join.

February 18th, 2023

Mukogawa Women's University students participated in the 5th Mukogawa Women's Smile Festival at Lalaport Koshien, marking the return of the in-person event after a three-year absence.

The 5th Mukojo Smile Festival opened at LaLaport Koshien on the 18th and will run until the 19th. Mukojo Smile Fest is held jointly with Mitsui Shopping Park "LaLaport Koshien" every year to showcase to the community about Mukogawa Women's University's activities, and this year will be the 5th time. Due to the pandemic, the year before last and last year the event was held only on the web and as an exhibition, but this year, in addition to the web (February 1 through March 31) and exhibition, the face-to-face event is back for the first time in three years. Students stood at each booth and held workshops and other participatory events, which drew crowds of parents and children.

The Cosmetic Science Laboratory of the Department of Health and Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences offered hand massages to visitors using "MUKOJOism Moisture Pack Cream," a hand cream developed by the students in their seminar. A woman who stopped by while shopping said, "I suffer from dry skin, but the massage left my skin moist and even my nails shiny.”

Students from the Clothing Culture Laboratory of the School of Human Environmental Sciences ran a hands-on booth where they reused old clothes collected on campus to make small items. Participants decorated sleeves of old clothes into cylindrical shapes with ribbons and beads to make their own original PET bottle cases. A mother accompanying her second-grade girl said, "This was my first time participating in the event, and it was a good opportunity for me to interact with the students.

In addition, the Hirai Seminar of the Department of Informatics and Mediology held a soap-making workshop using honey from Hyogo Prefecture. The Enami Seminar set up an exhibition booth in conjunction with an escape game.

February 13th, 2023


The beginning of spring semester for first-year students of the Department of English to study at MUSC. .

A group of 126 first-year students from the Department of English departed from Osaka International Airport to Spokane, Washington, on February 8th to 10th, and made it to the extended Mukogawa Women’s University campus in the U.S.

Upon arrival, an on-site orientation was held on February 12th, where they heard from Vice President Akihiro Nakahara and the Dean of Academic Affairs. This is the start of the spring semester of study abroad at the U.S. branch.

The students will stay at the U.S. branch school for three months until May 24. They will not only study in class, but also interact with each other on and off campus and experience daily life, thereby improving their English language skills, experiencing American culture firsthand, and deepening their cross-cultural understanding.

February 8th, 2023

The Staff Development System Rising 3 began in 2019 as a training system for new staff members over the first three years of their employment, with the aim of enhancing their expertise in work related to university administration and systematically developing staff members who can work to improve the quality of university education through collaboration between teaching staff and faculty.

The 10 employees who joined the organization in 2020 and are the second cohort of Rising 3 received certificates of completion and commemorative gifts from Mr. Yutaka Takii, Executive Director, at a review meeting on February 6, after completing the entire three-year training program.

During the de-briefing session, they discussed the lessons they learned and their own personal growth from this training. The graduates commented, "Since I joined the organization just after thefirst year of the pandemic, it was a valuable opportunity for me to learn about other departments and interact with them," "By being involved in class preparation in my second year, I was able to learn how teachers actually conduct their classes," "By taking the training as a team, I was able to learn and build a bond with my peers as we took on various challenges," and "I learned a lot from the training. I was able to deepen my learning and build bonds with my peers as we took on various challenges," and "I was able to work on issues I had wanted to work on during the third year presentation of results."

Vice President Yamazaki encouraged the students, saying, "I hope you will use your experience as food for thought in the future, but you must be aware that you must continue to learn, as experience can create stereotypes. Director Takii commented, "Completion of the program does not mean that you have completed your studies. I hope that you will continue to grow as a staff member. Mr. Matsumoto, Director of the Human Resources Department, also commented, "Unlike when I was a student, it is difficult to feel growth, but this was a place where I could feel the growth of the employees taking the course."

The meeting concluded with a commemorative photo of all participants.

February 6th, 2023

The Career Center hosted the first face-to-face "Job Fair on Campus" in three years.

This on-campus job fair event is the largest of Mukogawa Women’s University’s many employment events.

For the past two years, due to the pandemic, the event has been held online only, but this year it will be held in-person on February 6 and 7, and online from February 9~16 (excluding Saturday and Sunday), with 280 companies participating.

The target audience was students who will graduate in 2024. Today, the first day of the event, by the time registration opened at 9:30 a.m., many job-hunting students had packed the venue of each company and were earnestly listening to explanations of the industry and specific job descriptions.

Career Center Director Mr. Uchida commented, "We were concerned that students were not accustomed to face-to-face meetings after a long period of conducting the program online, but we are relieved to see that the number of applicants exceeded our expectations. Face-to-face meetings are a chance for students to improve their communication skills, so we hope they will take full advantage of this opportunity."

In addition, on February 6 and 7, the Tokyo Center, which provides support for students seeking employment in the Tokyo metropolitan area, will have a job hunting consultation booth in the Career Center to assist job hunting students.

February 6th, 2023

Akari Funada, a senior in the Department of Health and Sports Sciences, won first place in Japan in the women's triple jump at the "106th Japan Championships, Indoor Events.

Akari Funada (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences) won the women's triple jump with 13m27 at the 106th Japan Athletics Championships Indoor Events (organized by Japan Association of Athletics Federations) held at Osaka-jo Hall on February 4, 2012. Miu Kishino (4th year, Health and Sports Sciences) and Haruka Saito (1st year, Graduate School of Health and Sports Sciences) placed 4th and 6th, respectively, in the women's triple jump event. Three of our students won prizes in one event.