Ritsumeikan is committed to fostering impact makers who contribute to solving social issues, and as part of its efforts to achieve this goal, the EXPO Student Committee, “Ookini,” was launched in April 2023. The members of Ookini are working with the Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion, an Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Signature Pavilion led by Thematic Project Producer Sachiko Nakajima. This time, we held a roundtable discussion with the members of Ookini to hear about the current state of their activities as well as the activities they have planned for after the Expo.

What is Ookini?

——Why was the EXPO Student Committee, “Ookini,” established? What are each of your roles in the Committee?

Takagi: Ookini is a group of students interested in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and social issues, and our goal is to help each and every member grow to the point that they can contribute to society by addressing social issues by way of the Expo. Currently, we are working with other universities to build momentum for the Expo and organizing workshops to make people aware that social issues are common challenges for the entire planet.

As for me, I am the Co-representative of Ookini. Co-representatives are members of the Executive Committee, which is composed of a total of four students from the Kinugasa Campus in Kyoto, the Biwako-Kusatsu Campus in Shiga, and the Osaka Ibaraki Campus, and we each take responsibility for different activities. In addition to the Executive Committee, Ookini has a Management Division, which handles duties like public relations and accounting, and a Social Issues Promotion Division that plans workshops, with five groups each working on a different social issue.

Shichino: I am the leader of the Food Team in the Social Issues Promotion Division. The Food Team's mission is to contribute to the formation of sustainable dietary life through the resolution of social issues related to food, and we are currently engaged in educational activities on two topics: the food loss issue and using plant-based food as an alternative to animal protein.

Tanaka: I am the leader of the Environment Team in the Social Issues Promotion Division, and we aim to get as many people as possible to think about environmental issues with a sense of ownership.

Takagi: There are three more teams in the Social Issues Promotion Division: the Communications Team, which seeks solutions to communication gaps, the Diversity and Cross-cultural Understanding Team, which considers ways to promote understanding across countries and cultures, and the Japanese Culture Team, which aspires to pass on Japanese culture. I am also a member of the Communication Team.

——What led all of you to join Ookini?

Tanaka: My parents' house is close to Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park, and since childhood, I grew up feeling very close to the Expo. So, when I heard that Ritsumeikan was launching a project for the Expo, I felt that I just had to participate, so I joined the Ookini in my first year.

Shichino: When I was a high school student, I participated in a business plan contest with idea of using non-standard vegetables in a food truck, and developing a project about a social issue with my classmates gave me a sense of joy and accomplishment. I joined the Ookini because I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Osaka to host the Expo and I felt it would help me grow as a person.

Takagi: In the spring of my first year, I learned that Ritsumeikan was partnering with the Jellyfish Pavilion at the Expo. Being from Osaka, I thought my life would be so much more enjoyable if I could participate in a global event like the Expo.

I also threw my hat in the ring for the Co-representative position. Ookini has a lot of contact with the local community thanks to our activities, and it is rewarding when the local people tell us how enjoyable our workshops are. I also thought that becoming a leader of the group would give me more opportunities to connect with other universities and people involved in the Expo, and in turn, further broaden my horizons.

Holding planned workshops on campus and at local events

——What have been your main activities so far?

Takagi: First of all, the Social Issues Promotion Division is planning a workshop in line with our goal to hold an exhibit at the Jellyfish Pavilion. We have received advice via several mentoring interviews, both in person and online, with Thematic Project Producer Sachiko Nakajima and employees of her company steAm Inc.*, and this past September, we held the Expo Workshop Contest at OIC to showcase our achievements. On the day of the event, Ms. Nakajima and employees of steAm came to judge the proposals. In addition to us, other student groups that participated in the contest included the Japanese Tea Ceremony Club, which is also working in preparation for the Expo, Ri-one, a student group developing autonomous mobile robots, and the Ritsumeikan University LGBTQ+ student group, rall.

Shichino: The Food Team planned a lecture-style workshop, but we were advised to make it more hands-on, so now we are trying to create a card game to help participants learn about the food loss issue. One of the games we are considering features characters born from food loss. We held a workshop at the Ritsumeikan Festival and a local event with a prototype of the game, and we monitored the public's reaction, so we plan to further improve this game in the future.

Tanaka: The Environment Team also started out with an idea for an event that consisted of one-way teaching, but after the mentoring sessions and the contest, we are now in the process of refining this into an event in which participants become newscasters and read news about environmental issues. This was born out of the idea that if people could communicate about environmental issues in their own words, it would be easier for them to develop a sense of ownership. The key to this event is that, although there is a script, there is an ad-lib element that requires participants to inject their own ideas into the mix.

Takagi: Ms. Nakajima and the employees of steAm provided us with a wealth of advice and guidance in preparation for the contest in September, but there were many times where we still felt that we had not done enough. Even if we enjoyed the workshop ourselves, the reality is that there is a diverse array of participants, so we needed to broaden our perspective and work out rules and formats that would allow anyone to participate.

Tanaka: Using what we had learned, the Environment Team held the workshop I mentioned earlier at the OIC Festival, and people of all ages enjoyed our games, so we were pleased with the positive response.

Takagi: Our members also participate in the Jellyfish Pavilion’s general meetings. These are regular monthly meetings that bring together Ms. Nakajima, employees of steAm, and representatives from partner companies.

Tanaka: At the general meetings, we mainly report on our activities, such as workshops held at community events, and our future plans. The members discuss costume design and other matters related to the Jellyfish Pavilion, but sometimes they ask us to give our input as young people.

Takagi: It is quite exciting to know that an idea I raised could be adopted.

——What are you doing to build momentum for the Expo?

Shichino: When I look at the situation outside of Ritsumeikan, I feel that the Expo is still not very well known. Through our activities, we have gained an understanding of what makes the Expo fun and appealing, so we hope to share this widely with the general public.

Takagi: I feel that there are many students from other universities and Ritsumeikan as well who are unfamiliar with the Expo. First of all, we would like to convey the appeal of the Expo to Ritsumeikan students and then increase what we can do by combining the strengths of the humanities and sciences. With Ritsumeikan as a starting point, I would like to develop Ookini into an organization that can involve other universities and working people, too. We are also planning an event in December to bring together other student groups that, like Ookini, are undertaking activities in preparation for the Expo. We will help refine each other’s workshop proposals and exchange ideas about our respective initiatives so we can further improve the content.

Shichino: In terms of building momentum, one group that is doing something completely different from Ookini might be taking the lead. In September 2024, the Calligraphy Club put on a dynamic calligraphy performance at a ceremony to commemorate the completion of the Grand Ring at the Expo site. I felt like they had already achieved what we are aiming to do.

Tanaka: As fellow Ritsumeikan students, we cannot afford to fall behind.

Takagi: We focus on social issues that we are interested in, but the women in the Calligraphy Club base their activities on what they like and what they are good at. To me, it seems that we are on different paths, but one of the goals we are working toward is the same.

The Expo is not the goal

——How have you grown or changed compared to when you first joined Ookini?

Tanaka: I am no longer afraid to present my opinions in front of large groups of working adults. The general meetings were very good training (laughs). Everyone there really valued the students' opinions, which made me more aware that I had to think things through before I spoke up.

Takagi: I have become more aware of my role as Co-representative, because recently, whether I’m in town or on campus, there are more students who recognize me as the Co-representative of Ookini and approach me. When I speak to other organizations or companies, I introduce myself as the Co-representative of Ookini. I have come to realize that I have to act accordingly not only when I’m in public, but during my private time as well.

Shichino: I used to be the type of person who couldn't speak well in front of people without a script, but after becoming a team leader, I feel like I've changed because I've had more opportunities to be interviewed about the Expo, including appearing on the MBS radio program “Bampaku Sengen.” I was also invited to speak at the Nikkei Expo Forum, and I was surprised at how smoothly the words flowed even without a script.

——Once again, what do you think the attractive features of Ookini are?

Tanaka: I think the most attractive thing about Ookini is that the university and stakeholders involved are sincere about what we, the students, want to do, and they have put a system in place to support us.

Takagi: Students have a lot of free time. There is nothing wrong with going out and having a good time, but as a member of Ookini, I get the sense that I am involved in something different from ordinary university life. Here, you can come up with a plan for a social issue you are interested in, receive feedback from working people at the forefront of that issue, and possibly even hold an exhibit at the Expo. I think this is really wonderful.

Shichino: Ookini brings together a wide variety of students who have their own ideas about social issues, so it is interesting to hear many different opinions on a single question, and it is also a learning experience for me. Even if you have a project in mind, I think this process opens up a lot of possibilities.

Tanaka: As I had expected, many of our members voluntarily participated in the Committee because they are interested in social issues, so it makes me think that there is a relatively large number of diligent and talented students at Ritsumeikan. The new members who joined this year have a very strong desire to do something like this, so I feel that this is an environment where we can help each other excel.

——What activities do you have planned for Ookini once the Expo has ended?

Takagi: Ms. Nakajima, who is one of the Thematic Producers for Expo, has repeatedly told us that even if the goal is to hold the Expo, that is not the end of the process. For Ookini, the Expo is just a passing point. We are working on each of the social issues because we want to make a significant contribution to society as students and also because we want to put this experience to use after we graduate. Of course, it would be great if the workshops we are planning are adopted for the Expo, but we try to be aware of what will happen after that.

Shichino: The Food Team is focusing on food loss and plant-based foods for the Expo, but many of the team members are interested in other food issues, so we would like to continue our activities after the Expo by expanding the range of topics we address.

Tanaka: I am a third-year student, so I think I will ‘retire’ from team activities once the Expo ends. That being said, now that I have established relationships with companies, I hope to be more proactive in receiving advice and guidance so I can contribute to the expansion of the Environment Team’s initiatives. Based on the experience gained from the Expo, I hope I can grow into a person who can have a positive impact on society, and I would like to see initiatives like these carried on at Ritsumeikan.

EXPO Student Committee “Ookini”

Ookini is a student organization supported by the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Student Affairs which was established under the Ritsumeikan Expo 2025 Collaboration Promotion Headquarters, which sponsors and collaborates with the Jellyfish Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. In addition to the Executive Committee, the Ookini has a Management Division and a Social Issues Promotion Division, each of which have Theme-based Project Teams, and the members undertake activities in cooperation with Ookini Partner Organizations. At present, more than 100 first- to third-year students from 16 colleges spanning Kinugasa Campus, Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC), and Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC) participate in the Committee as core members.

■ Social Issues Promotion Division

[Food Team, “SusTable”]
Aiming to create a sustainable food system, this team works on food loss issues and the promotion of plant-based foods as alternatives to animal-based foods.

[Environment Team]
This team undertakes activities to raise awareness of and promote a sense of ownership for environmental issues. It works to promote workshop-based activities in cooperation with educational organization and other partners.

[Communication Team, “CWA” (Communicate with Anyone)]
This team is planning a game that utilizes non-verbal communication to visualize communication gaps.

[Diversity and Cross-cultural Understanding Team, “Connecting People Through Play”]
This team is proposing play as a means of deepening intercultural understanding. It is planning a game where visitors complete sea creatures drawn in the languages of various countries.

[Japanese Culture Team, “Sakura”]
This team conducts activities to pass on Japanese culture. Based on the topic of “matsuri” (festival), it is planning to run an event at the Expo where visitors can experience Japanese culture by making handicrafts and trying on kimonos.

■ Co-Creation Challenge

The five teams in the Social Issues Promotion Division are registered for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Co-Creation Challenge.
https://team.expo2025.or.jp/ja/challenge

■ Inquiries about this Matter

About Ookini
Ritsumeikan University Office of Student Affairs (OIC) oic-sa1@st.ritsumei.ac.jp

Press Coverage and Interview Requests
https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/forms/inquiry/press/form/