On Monday, November 3, 2025 (national holiday), the Faculty of Agriculture at Kagawa University hosted the Open Campus & Harvest Festival 2025. We welcomed more than 1,000 visitors this year, and the event concluded with great success. We sincerely appreciate everyone who joined us.
Collaboration With Agricultural High Schools
As in previous years, the event featured collaborative programs with agricultural high schools in Kagawa Prefecture, including Ishida High School, Kasada High School, and the Agricultural Management High School. Each school participated with panel exhibitions, product sales, rice cake demonstrations, cotton candy booths, and more. Teachers and many students joined the event, bringing youthful energy and drawing strong attention from visitors.
Laboratory Exhibitions and Hands-On Activities
To help not only high school students but also elementary and junior high school students, as well as local residents, learn more about the research conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, laboratories held research presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and workshops. Many visitors showed great interest, listening attentively to explanations provided by faculty and students and asking thoughtful questions.
International Exchange Programs
The Faculty of Agriculture has a long history of promoting international exchange. Our international students continue to learn and live safely with support from the regional community. As a venue for community engagement, we hosted an International Student Exchange Salon, featuring cultural introductions and sampling of traditional drinks from students’ home countries.
In the overseas study program report session, students who participated in the International Applied Science Program II (SV-HUST) at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam presented their experiences, along with cultural and historical insights. Many junior high school students, particularly from the English Club (ESS) of Miki Junior High School, attended the session and actively interacted with international students.
Student-Led Projects
Several student groups operated activity booths, all of which attracted large numbers of visitors:
- Tanada no Kai – Introduction of terraced rice field activities in Nakayama, Shodoshima + rice ball tasting
- Natural Science Club – Workshop in collaboration with the Acorn Network
- ASUS – Food tasting using rare sugars; members also managed event reception, distributed pamphlets, and greeted guests
These student-led initiatives added energy to the festival and highlighted student leadership.
Sales Booths & Interactive Events
The sale of agricultural products from the university farm and flowers and vegetables by alumni from Ikedo-kai again drew long lines. At the Animal Interaction Corner, children enjoyed meeting rabbits and other small animals.
First Public Release of “KODAI Minori Pork”
This year’s festival marked the first public release of “KODAI Minori Pork,” a new brand pork produced by the University Farm. With cooperation from the Kagawa University Co-op, pork cutlet lunch boxes and skewers were sold—and sold out immediately after sales began. We apologize to those who were unable to purchase items due to limited quantities.
Beginning November 4, the “KODAI Minori Pork Tonkatsu Set Meal” has been available in limited quantities at the Restaurant Olive in the Kagawa University Hospital cafeteria. This batch of pork was raised on peach feed, resulting in a light and clean fat profile. Future batches raised on grape feed are expected to feature subtle sweetness and aroma. We look forward to your continued interest in these initiatives from the University Farm.
Thanks to the cooperation of all participants and partners, the Open Campus & Harvest Festival 2025 was highly successful and fruitful. We sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to continuing our efforts in education, research, and international collaboration.
© 2023 Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University. All rights reserved.
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