F&LC teams up with Nippon Travel Agency to launch “The Future of kaiten sushi Co-Creation Project” – Supporting high school students’ research activities through fieldwork in the fisheries and restaurant industries –

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FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES Co., Ltd. (Head office: Suita City, Osaka Prefecture; President and CEO: Mizutome Koichi; hereinafter referred to as F&LC), which owns conveyor belt sushi restaurant Sushiro, and Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chuo Ward, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koyano Yoshimitsu) will begin the “Future Conveyor Belt Sushi Co-Creation Project: Thinking about the Future of Conveyor Belt Sushi with High School Students” in June 2024. The project will support high school students’ research activities by providing opportunities for on-site visits to Japan’s fishing industry, fieldwork where they can learn about the efforts of the restaurant industry toward sustainable use of fishing, and interactive classes.

Future conveyor belt sushi co-creation project

1. Project Objectives/Contents

The purpose of this project is to provide a place for inquiry learning for high school students who will lead the future. Over the course of three months from June to August 2024, the students will learn about efforts to spread Japan’s delicious food culture of sushi to the world through interactive classes with F&LC, and will conduct fieldwork at Owase Bussan Co., Ltd.*, a fishery company in Owase City, Mie Prefecture, to learn about the current state of Japan’s rich marine resources, which are unique to an island nation surrounded by sea on all sides. In September and October 2024, the high school students will be able to present the results of their learning at F&LC’s management and general meetings. *Owase Bussan Co., Ltd. sells hamachi, sea bream, and striped jack, which are sold at Sushiro.

2. Background of the project launch

Currently, with the revision and implementation of the curriculum guidelines for high schools in 2022, an increasing number of schools are focusing on “research activities” that allow students to set their own problems and develop the ability to search for solutions so that they can carve out their own future. However, research activities often focus on social or local issues, and it is said that it is difficult to complete the learning within the school alone, so there is a demand for programs in collaboration with local communities and companies. In response to such requests from schools, the two companies have launched this project to support high school students’ research activities. Moreover, the theme is also designed to lead to the future development of Japan’s fisheries and restaurant industries, with an eye toward co-creating value with high school students in the future.

overview

1. Name: Future conveyor belt sushi co-creation project ~Thinking with high school students about the future of conveyor belt sushi~

2. Target: Seven high schools in the Kansai region: Kansai University Senior High School (Osaka Prefecture), Kansai University Hokuyo Senior High School (Osaka Prefecture), Kwansei Gakuin Senri International Junior and Senior High School (Osaka Prefecture), Mita Gakuen Senior High School (Hyogo Prefecture), Mie Prefectural Matsusaka Commercial High School (Mie Prefecture), Ritsumeikan Senior High School (Kyoto Prefecture), Waseda Setsuryo Senior High School (Osaka Prefecture) *In alphabetical order

3. Schedule: June 13th (Thursday) 1st class (Preparatory learning ① Online) June 27th (Thursday) 2nd class (Preparatory learning ② Online) July 11th (Thursday) 3rd class (Preparatory learning ③ Online) August 6th (Tuesday) to 7th (Wednesday) Local fieldwork in Mie (2 days, 1 night) August 22nd (Thursday) 4th class (Post-learning Online) August 29th (Thursday) Presentation training and rehearsal class (Online) Early September Presentation of results to FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES management October 10th (Thursday) Presentation and award ceremony for representative schools at FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES general meeting

4. Project Entities: FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES Inc.

5. Business Cooperation: Owase Bussan Co., Ltd., Mie University

6. Planning Organizers: Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd.

Comments from participating schools

▼ Students: “Until now, I have been eating sushi at conveyor belt sushi restaurants without knowing that management and protection are necessary due to the decline in marine resources. I believe that in order to protect these fish, improvements in fisheries management and a change in consumer awareness are necessary. I would like to research and propose solutions so that we can continue to eat fish safely for decades to come.” “Through this project, I would like to be involved in taking a step toward resolving issues with Japan’s marine resources. To do that, I would like to first learn about and accurately understand the current issues. I would like to hear accurate stories from people who are actually involved in the ocean and marine resources, not just what I have researched online or in previous research.” “Just as we have a lot of attachment to conveyor belt sushi, I would like future generations to be able to make memories at conveyor belt sushi, so I would like to solve current problems using the imagination and ideas of high school students.”
▼ Teachers: “I think it will be a meaningful time for the students to interact with employees working at the forefront of companies and to carry out research activities aimed at solving social issues. I am also looking forward to a system that allows them to build long-term relationships and exchange information, rather than just a one-off event.” “I’m grateful for the environment in which students can hear from university professors and people from companies working to solve social issues and ask questions. I think it’s a rare experience to be able to progress in your studies while helping each other improve with students from other schools.”

About FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES, Inc.

Our COMPANIES has grown around the conveyor belt sushi business, “Sushiro,” which was founded in Osaka in 1984. Currently, with our corporate philosophy of “Change, Everyday Deliciousness. Spread Joy to the World,” we operate over 1,100 restaurants under the brands “Sushiro,” “Kyotaru,” “Conveyor Belt Sushi Misaki,” and “Sugidama” in nine countries and regions, including Japan. The core of F&LC’s sustainability is our desire to enrich the lives of our customers by providing delicious “FOOD” together with “People (COMPANIES),” such as our business partners, employees, and local residents. Based on this idea, we will achieve corporate growth while solving social issues.

About Nippon Travel Agency

Founded in 1905, it is the oldest comprehensive travel agency in Japan. Deepening the connections with regions across the country that it has built up through the travel industry, it is now going beyond tourism to become a “solution-oriented corporate group for customers and regions,” facing the issues facing local communities and working to “solve local social issues” while accompanying the regions. In the field of education, it is developing a business that delivers new learning experiences to the next generation of children through travel and tourism. Recently, it has been holding many events in regions across the country where high school students can deepen their understanding of sustainability and disseminate their ideas to society.

Press Release PDF

<Contact for media inquiries regarding this matter>

FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES, Inc. Public Relations Department, Public Relations Division
TEL: 06-6368-1063 (weekdays excluding weekends and holidays)
MAIL: press@food-and-life.co.jp
URL: https://www.food-and-life.co.jp
Nippon Travel Agency, Secretary and Public Relations Department
TEL: 03-6895-7860 (weekdays excluding weekends and holidays)