September 12th, 2024

"Nostalgic Retro Melon,” a melon soda-flavored dessert beer invented by students of the Takahashi Seminar in the School of Business Administration, went on sale for a limited time on August 1 at mail order sites, etc., with the cooperation of Sapporo Beer Co. and Abashiri Co. (Sales website: https://www.hoppin-garage.com/product/natsukashinoretoromeron/) It is also offered as a limited-time item at Hensel Cafe, a retro coffee shop near the university.

The “Nostalgic Retro Melon” is a new type of dessert beer (happoshu) that is easy to drink even for those who do not like beer, with the sweetness of the melon syrup filling the mouth. At the Student Innovation College (S-College), where 38 seminars from 32 universities nationwide competed in a product planning competition in 2023, the “retro cute melon soda-flavored beer” invented by the students under the theme “Story beer that Generation Z can relate to” presented by Sapporo Beer won the competition. The winning seminar was given the right to realize the project, which led to the commercialization of the product this time.

One of the seminar students, Nanako Iwamoto, a fourth-year student in the Department of Business Administration, said, “We received training from Sapporo Breweries before we started selling products that use alcohol. We had to devise ways to avoid inducing underage drinking, and I felt responsible as a seller, so I learned a lot about becoming a member of society."

Professor Chieko Takahashi, who supervised the seminar students, said, “The students received advice from their classmates and seniors, but they accomplished the task on their own. I think the results are wonderful,” she said.

September 10th, 2024

Nine students of Associate Professor Yukiko Higo's seminar in the Department of Social Informatics has created a video on suicide prevention for young people in collaboration with the City of Amagasaki. The video was shown at the regular press conference of the mayor of Amagasaki City on August 27. Ms. Minori Kokusei, a third-year student, participated in the press conference as a representative of the seminar.

Two videos were produced: “You are not alone (YouTube)” for those who could be affected by a certain situation, which tells them that they can express how they feel by asking for help, and “We are ready when you are (YouTube)” to encourage those around them to speak up at a time that best suits them. The students tried their hand at making animated videos to make it easier for the audience to empathize with them, and they rewrote the scenarios many times while reflecting on their own student lives and thinking about how best to convey the message to the people involved. Students from the university's broadcasting and drama clubs participated in the narration.

Ms. Kunio explains, “When we were thinking about the concept and ideas for the story, it was difficult to find the best approach, but after receiving a lot of information from the Amagasaki City government officials, we were able to find the answer. I paid close attention to the details of visuals and tempo so that viewers would empathize with the project. The project encouraged me personally, and I made sure to discuss any small concerns I had about the production process with my fellow seminar students.”

September 9th, 2024

On July 24th, a joint presentation of cosmetic planning ideas conceived by students from the Departments of Health and Bio- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Business Administration was held on the central campus.

At the University, a cross-departmental lecture is held in both the Departments of Health and Life Pharmaceutical Sciences and Business Administration, where students learn about the marketing knowledge necessary for cosmetic product development through the planning of new cosmetics. With the aim of having students experience the fun and difficulty of creating products with the user in mind, this lecture, which started in 2021, is taught by two faculty members with experience in the cosmetics industry. In the first semester of 2024, 41 students enrolled in "Cosmetic Development Theory" and "Beauty Industry Theory" from both departments participated.

In the class, students first submitted individual cosmetic planning proposals, and the top ideas were selected by a vote of all students enrolled. Afterwards, students were divided into groups based on their ideas and refined their proposals by conducting surveys and receiving guidance from the instructors in charge.

Associate Professor Miki Minamino of the Department of Health and Life Pharmaceutical Sciences said, "Students were able to plan cosmetics from the perspective of each department's learning, and the color of each department stood out. I hope that the activities without departmental barriers that we have carried out this time will be useful in the future."

Associate Professor Miho Shinei of the Department of Business Administration said, "In the past, we’ve had presentations focusing on makeup around the eyes, but this year, there were many presentations focusing on base makeup. I think this is due to the fact that people have stopped wearing masks, and it was an interesting result. I think the presentations were wonderful, as the ideas were further refined from the interim presentation."

August 27th, 2024

Eje Pamuk, a student from Bahçeşehir University in Turkey, will be the focus of the upcoming episode of "Mukogawa Women's University's Mukojo TV," airing on September 2nd at approximately 5:30 PM on Asahi Broadcasting Television (Channel 6). As a short-term exchange student in the Department of Architecture, Pamuk will be closely followed as she immerses herself in design and model-making alongside Japanese students.

Mukogawa Women's University and Bahçeşehir University have a general exchange agreement. Since 2009, the Department of Architecture has been running a short-term exchange program with the aim of cultivating globally active architects. After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student exchanges from Turkey to Japan have resumed this year. Eight students studying architecture and interior design arrived on June 28th and have been participating in classes at the Department of Architecture and the Department of Landscape Architecture while living together.

Mina Shindo, a third-year student from Mukogawa Women’s University’s Junior and Senior High School Broadcasting Club, provided the narration for episode #25. Shindo, who recorded in a studio in Osaka City, shared, "This was my first time recording in a professional studio, so I was nervous, but it was a moving experience. I felt like a professional announcer."

"Mukogawa Women's University's Mukojo TV" is an original infomercial program that has been airing on the first Monday of every month since April 2022 on Asahi Broadcasting Television.

August 26th, 2024

The School of Nursing held a “Community Clinic” at LaLaport Koshien on August 7th, and many local residents joined in.

 The “Community Clinic” is held throughout Japan as a place where people can casually consult with nurses about their mental and physical concerns and difficulties. Mukogawa Women's University holds this event twice a year in cooperation with the Hyogo Prefecture Nursing Association, with the purpose of providing an opportunity for people living in Nishinomiya City to think about their health and broadening the perspectives of the future nurses of the School of Nursing.

Ms. Sayoko Taki, a fourth-year student at the School of Nursing who participated as a student volunteer, said, “During my internship at a hospital, I often came into contact with patients with symptomatic conditions, and I wanted to learn more about activities to prevent illness. I believed this event would be a great opportunity to learn about the perspectives in nursing that can be acquired outside of hospital settings,” she said enthusiastically.

August 21st, 2024

Mukogawa Women's University's “Laboratory for Living” was created for students of the Department of Human Environmental Sciences to learn about home construction in a real-life setting, and graduate students are working on the renovation of a Japanese-style room.

 The house is a two-story wooden 4DK (4 rooms, a dining room and a kitchen space) house in Kasaya-cho, an ordinary residential house built more than 50 years ago, but the university reinforced the earthquake resistance and made various innovations to the interior so that students of the Department can learn practical aspects of residential and interior design and construction while experiencing the construction method and structure.

Led by Kaho Maeda, a first-year student in the master's course of the graduate school, about 10 students from the architecture circle “Bau,” the Department of Human Environmental Sciences, the Department of Fashion and Living Design, and other departments took on the challenge of renovating two Japanese-style rooms on the first and second floors.

Ms. Maeda, who aspires to become a first-class architect, says, “Being able to have practical training in the vicinity of the school helps me concentrate on my work, because I don't have to travel around. Plastering mud walls was particularly difficult the first time I did it, and I faced the same difficulties carpenters face, which I did not foresee when I was drawing the plans before I started DIY,” she said.