The School of Human Science and Environment was established in April 1998 as a department at the Himeji Institute of Technology, which is the predecessor of the University of Hyogo. This is the first department in Japan to include “human science” and “environment” in the name. With frameworks in both the humanities and sciences, it was inaugurated as a department that takes on challenges in emerging fields. In 2023, it welcomed its 25-year anniversary since its founding. To celebrate this occasion, various events, such as this anniversary event, were hosted. We would like to tell you about one of those events, the “Food Future Extension Lecture”.

On Thursday, December 7, the 25th-Anniversary Project Symposium was hosted at the School of Human Science and Environment Campus Lecture Hall in collaboration with an expert-led lecture, “Food Future Extension Lecture”, which is conducted by Food Environment and Nutrition Course, School of Human Science and Environment. The event was attended by both students and local residents.

The event started with opening remarks by Professor Kaoru Sakamoto of the School of Human Science and Environment, and who is also the Director of the Cutting-Edge Food Science Research Center.

Following the opening remarks, Department Chair Yoshimura gave a lecture on the topic of “25 Years of the School of Human Science and Environment - Education and Research for Achieving SDGs”. Department Chair Yoshimura noted that, “The School of Human Science and Environment tackles education and research into sustainable development goals (SDGs), and will tackle various initiatives for the next 100 years. We will preserve the philosophy of the School of Human Science and Environment while making innovations and advancements for future education/research and social contribution activities.” (Photo)

The keynote address, on the subject of “The Planet and Our Health from the Perspective of Food”, was given by Professor Rie Akamatsu of Ochanomizu University. From the perspectives of “what to eat” and “food supplies”, she spoke on the subjects of “What types of foods are good for both the planet and us?” and “What can we do for our health and for the planet?” Professor Akamatsu opened her lecture with, “I am a nutritionist who specializes in behavior therapy regarding how people can make more healthy dietary choices in their daily lives. We are now in an era in which dietary advice must be given in terms of both individual health and what is good for the environment of the planet. Under such circumstances, I have been conducting research that incorporates perspectives on the environment for these last five years.” During her lecture, she brought up that it is recommended that we eliminate food loss by eating everything in a meal without discarding any of it, but it is difficult to maintain an appropriate body weight while eating out, due to factors such as the large portion sizes of restaurants and the high amount of leftover food in the food industry. She suggested that, “I think it is important to create an environment in which restaurants provide the appropriate amount of food while customers order the appropriate amount. For example, restaurants serving food should have a better understanding of SDGs and consumers should express their opinions to restaurants.” Professor Akamatsu concluded her lecture with, “I think we can deal with global warming through behaviors in our everyday lives. I implore all of you to start taking any action you can to deal with this problem.”

The symposium held thereafter was on the subject of “What We Can Do (Now and in the Future) for the Global Environment and for Our Food and Health”. The speakers were Professor Akamatsu, and, from the School of Human Science and Environment, Associate Professor Naoki Masuhara, Associate Professor Yuichiro Oku, and Associate Professor Makiko Nakade. (Photo)

The symposium concluded with closing remarks from Professor Mikiko Ito of the School of Human Science and Environment. In her closing address, Professor Ito said, “This Food Future Extension Lecture and other events have been venues for us to think deeply about the relationship between our daily meals and health. However, I think this symposium is where we learned about the new perspective of the connection between those two items and the global environment and about how daily health changes the global environment. This symposium is hosted in collaboration with the Food Future Extension Lecture. This lecture is in its 13th year. Many people have attended the lecture, and many professors have spoken at it. It is scheduled to be hosted again next year, so I implore both students and local residents to attend.” (Photo)