Junior Chamber International Japan Hosts Parent-Child Program to Learn Food Security Through Food

Junior Chamber International Japan (President: Daisuke Kato; address: VORT Hanzomon 7F, 2-12-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “Japan JC”) held a parent-child experiential program titled “Security Starting with Food: The Cycle of Life Nurtured at Home and in the Community” on March 21 in Ishikawa, March 27 in Aichi, and March 30 in Nagano. The program helps families learn about security through food. Japan JC’s Committee for Establishing a Safe Society is promoting initiatives around the recent social issue of Japan’s declining food self-sufficiency rate. The committee aims to foster broader public understanding of the role and value of domestic food production, the importance of food self-sufficiency, and awareness of supporting domestically produced ingredients. The program is designed to help children, who will be the future stewards of food, learn about systems that protect food safety from the familiar perspective of the family dining table. It is being held in five locations across Japan, with two remaining sessions scheduled for May 23 and June 27. With the cooperation of Chara-Ken Co., Ltd., known for the popular picture book series “The Bear’s School,” and Kagome Co., Ltd., whose corporate philosophy is “Nature, deliciously and enjoyably,” the program offered an engaging learning experience for parents and children. Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate is 38% on a calorie basis for fiscal 2024. The decline has become a serious social issue, while international affairs and natural disasters are increasing risks to food security. In response, the organizers planned this parent-child program as an opportunity for consumers to think about food security in daily life. Through farming activities, cooking practice, and tours of Kagome facilities, participants learned how ingredients are produced and delivered to the dining table, while naturally gaining an understanding of the benefits of choosing domestic ingredients and the perspective of food security. The Ishikawa session was held from 10:00 to 15:00 on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Kanazawa Gakuin University and O e Co., Ltd., with 47 participants from 20 parent-child groups. After learning about “nutrition and food security” through quizzes, participants took part in a cooking class using local ingredients such as Saitaki no Kaori rice and Kaga lotus root. In the afternoon, they experienced agricultural activities including a simulated harvest of Kaga lotus root provided by O e Co., Ltd., a Kanazawa-based company that grows rice, lotus root, open-field vegetables, figs, and other crops. The Aichi session was held from 10:00 to 13:00 on Friday, March 27, 2026, at the Kagome Memorial Hall and Kagome Ueno Plant, with 25 participants from 10 parent-child groups. Participants toured the Kagome Memorial Hall and observed actual product manufacturing lines, including Kagome’s basic tomato sauce, at the adjacent Kagome Ueno Plant. In the cooking session, they tried making Worcestershire sauce and had croquette sandwiches for lunch using handmade sauce made with domestic tomatoes, carrots, onions, and other ingredients. A classroom session afterward included food security quizzes and workshops to deepen their learning. The Nagano session was held from 10:10 to 13:30 on Monday, March 30, 2026, at Kagome Vegetable Life Farm Fujimi, with 23 participants from 10 parent-child groups. Participants visited the facility, described as an “experiential vegetable theme park,” where they toured the actual production line for the vegetable juice “Yasai Seikatsu 100” and a greenhouse featuring a “tomato tree” grown from a single seed. They learned about the manufacturing process and quality control behind vegetable juice, and deepened their understanding of vegetables through exhibits and hands-on experiences. A quiz session afterward further expanded their understanding of food security. Parents and children who took part commented that the content was easy for children to engage with and that they wanted to continue discussing food at home. Others said the experience helped both parents and children become more aware of food, and that they wanted to keep talking with their children about how everyday meals are not something to be taken for granted and how food travels from production sites to the home. Some participants also noted that the flow of eating first and then learning was well designed and helped them learn more deeply. Making familiar everyday foods together with children was described as an enjoyable opportunity to spark children’s interest. Going forward, the parent-child program “Security Starting with Food: The Cycle of Life Nurtured at Home and in the Community” will be held in Aichi on Saturday, May 23, and in Tokyo on Saturday, June 27. Japan JC’s Committee for Establishing a Safe Society will continue developing initiatives that allow consumers to consider food security through familiar aspects of daily life. Upcoming sessions are scheduled for Aichi on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 09:30 to 14:00 at emCAMPUS, and Tokyo on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 10:00 to 14:00 at Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University. The program includes classroom learning and workshops, parent-child kitchen activities including cooking practice and lunch, farming activities, and a wrap-up session. It is intended for children aged three and older up to the lower grades of elementary school and their guardians. Capacity is 20 groups for Aichi, where applications have closed, and 10 groups for Tokyo, where applications close on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, with only a few spots remaining. Advance registration is required through the link provided by the organizers.