On September 26, during the Kofusai Festival, the high school student-led organization LAONIN, which supports education in Laos, once again opened its popular “LAONIN Café.” Under the guidance of Kissa Eleven in Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, the café’s profits will be donated to support students in Laos.

This year, with the cooperation of the local pastry shop Patisserie Yuji in Uji, students took on the challenge of selling cookies in addition to coffee. They also developed and introduced a new ordering system that instantly displays customer orders on a kitchen screen, streamlining the process from order to service.

(Photo ②: A new order management system developed by students enables smoother operations)

This year, the café was jointly operated with students from Uji Support School. The careful hand-drip coffee served in front of each customer was well received by many visitors. This collaboration with the local community was a major highlight of this year’s event.

(Photo ③: Serving coffee alongside students from Uji Support School)

All proceeds from the event will be donated to educational support in Laos. Specifically, the funds will go toward supporting the “Sakumo Dormitory” in Pakse, southern Laos, helping students from rural areas who face financial difficulties in attending high school.

(Photo ⑤: Displays featuring the flags of Laos and Japan highlight the significance of this support)

“LAONIN” is an independent student organization founded in 2016 by students of Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School. Currently, about 60 students from both junior and senior high school are active members. They continue to import and sell original coffee blends made from Laotian beans, donating the proceeds to support education in Laos.

The group also plans to host pop-up cafés titled “Café Jack” at various future events. For the latest updates, follow their official Instagram account: @laonin_uji.