23rd Hokkori Café: “Agri ‘cultural’ exchange: how four different cultural perspectives shape their respective and mutual agricultural scene” July 3, 2024 (Lounge in the Former Head Office of Forest Research Station)

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Our speaker for the 23rd Hokkori Café was Nina Barua-san. Nina-san was the first speaker ever to talk about 4 countries: Belgium, India, Iran, and USA. Her presentation illustrated the differences and similarities among the 4 countries very well, and it gave the audience a very good opportunity to learn about the 4 countries at once.

22nd Hokkori Café: “Chilean agriculture: Fruitful exportation and land tenure problems” January 29, 2024 (S-130, Agriculture Mail Bldg.)

Claudio Ponce Ibáñez-san, an international student from Chile, was the speaker for our 22nd Hokkori Café. Claudio-san gave a very well-made presentation to explain about Chilean history, agriculture, etc. After the presentation, he treated us to delicious homemade “Sopaipillas” (fried bread) and “Pebre” (Chilean spicy condiment). Thank you Claudio-san for the amazing presentation and the delicious treats!

21st Hokkori Café: “Exploring Canada’s Economic Landscape and Transition to a Low-Carbon Future” July 21, 2023 (S-131, International Exchange Section)

We had a Canadian student Marina Giannitsos-san as the speaker for our 21st Hokkori Café. She told us about Canada’s culture, economic landscape, efforts being made for a low-carbon society, etc. with good humor. The audience got to taste some treats made with Canada’s famous maple syrup such as maple cookies and maple bacon that Marina-san made. We also got to experience making “maple taffy” which is commonly enjoyed at festivals in Canada. Thank you Marina-san for the fun presentation and the delicious treats!

20th Hokkori Café: “Who Lives in Peru?” February 17, 2023 (W-102)

A peruvian student Abel Alarco Grijalva-san was the speaker for our 20th Hokkori Café titled “Who Lives in Peru?”. The participants enjoyed Peruvian coffee and quinoa cake made by Abel-san while listening to his presentation about the ethnic and cultural diversity of Peru. Thank you Abel-san for the great presentation and the delicious cake!

19th Hokkori Café: “Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder” February 14, 2022 (online)

On February 14, we held the 19th Hokkori Café titled “Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder“. Two Cambodian students, Noun Sopheak-san and Doeurn Seyha-san, who are studying at the Graduate School of Agriculture and the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies respectively, gave an online presentation on various topics about their country. There was a quiz at the end of the presentation to test the audience’s knowledge about Cambodia. Even though the event was held online, the participants had a lot of fun and got to know Cambodia very well!

18th Hokkori Café: “Let’s Discover Morocco! Morocco: a gateway to Africa” March 5, 2021 (W-102)

On March 5, 2021, we were able to have our 18th International Café Meeting titled “Let’s Discover Morocco! Morocco: a gateway to Africa” in person for the first time since the pandemic started. The presenter was Khadija Kaffa-san, and she told us about her country Morocco and its culture. Thank you Khadija-san for the interesting presentation!

17th Hokkori Café: “Belgium, Bel-what?” December 19, 2019 (S-131)

Two students from Belgium, Kevin Tsao-san and Sara Vandenbosch-san, were the presenters of our 17^th International Café Meeting. They gave a presentation titled “Belgium, Bel-what?” on December 19, 2019. They told us about their country which is known for its production of popular things like beer, chocolate, and diamonds. They also served Belgian pancakes which are thinner than the pancakes we are used to and are more like crepes, and we ate them with some sugar sprinkled on them. Thank you Kevin-san and Sara-san for the interesting talk and the delicious treat!

16th Hokkori Café: “Who are the Hakka?” July 16, 2019 (S-131)

On July 16th, 2019, Deng Erying-san, a PhD student from China, gave a presentation titled “Who are the Hakka?” about the Hakka, an ethnic group of Han Chinese migrated from the northern to southern China. She told us about the origin and the history of the Hakka, and its unique culture and traditions. She also brought some treat for the participants to enjoy!

15th Hokkori Café: “Philippine Food Culture” February 22, 2019 (S-131)

Nina Dimaano-san and Diana Prado-san were the presenters of the 15^th International Café Meeting on February 22, 2019 titled “Philippine Food Culture“. They talked about the origin, history, culture, and cuisine of Philippines. After the presentation, they cooked a traditional desert called bilo-bilo which is made of sticky rice balls cooked in coconut milk with some fruit and tapioca pearls. Bilo-bilo was delicious and their talk was fantastic!

14th Hokkori Café: “Let’s Discover Bangladesh” July 17, 2018 (S-131)

On July 17, 2018, three students from Bangladesh, Kader Md. Abdul-san, Saha Khokan Kumar-san, and Raihan Md. Lamiur-san gave a presentation titled “Let’s Discover Bangladesh” for the 14^th International Café Meeting. They told us about various topics about their country focusing especially on agriculture, and served Masala chai (Bangladeshi tea) and a snack called “shingara”. Everyone enjoyed the talk and the treat!

13th Hokkori Café: “Indonesian Cuisine and Culture” January 31, 2018 (S-130)

Four Indonesian students, Reza Ramdan Rivai-san, Kartika Restu Susilo-san, Indrawan Cahyo Adilaksono-san, and Annisa Satwika Lestari were the speakers for the 13^th International Café Meeting on January 31, 2018 titled “Indonesian Cuisine and Culture“. They told us about some of the most famous topics from their country such as tempe (fermented soybean), angklung (traditional musical instrument), and Indonesian coffee. Tempe and Indonesian coffee were so delicious and it was so much fun to play the angklung with the speakers and the audience!

12th Hokkori Café: “Let’s Discover France” July 7, 2017 (S-130)

On July 7th, 2017, French students Andrieu Hugo-san and Camille Traoré-san gave a presentation titled “Let’s Discover France” on the 12th International Café Meeting. They talked about various topics about their countries and the stereotypes about France and whether they are true or not. They brought different types of cheese and we enjoyed them with some baguette and coffee!

11th Hokkori Cafe “Let’s Explore Afghanistan!” Dec 15, 2016 (S-128)

We had two Afghan students as speakers for our 11th Hokkori Cafe. They gave an informative presentation about history, culture, agriculture, etc., of Afghanistan. The audience was very impressed with their well-prepared and detailed presentation. Every one had a good time enjoying coffee and listening to an interesting talk. Thank you all for coming!

10th Hokkori Cafe “Madagascar and My Fashion Design” Jun 29, 2016 (S-128)

We had Clarissien Ramongolalaina San as a speaker for our 10th Hokkori Cafe. Audience listened to him talk about his country, Madagascar, while enjoying coffee and snacks. Madagascar was not a familiar country to the majority of the audience and they seemed to be excited to know about it.
He also talked about fashion design which is one of his hobbies. Everyone was surprised to know that he actually makes clothes from scratch!
After the presentation, he told a short story in Rakugo style (Rakugo is a traditional style of Japanese comedy where the performer tells funny stories using hands and props like a fan or cloth, while sitting down). He told the story in English but his style was very true to the authentic Japanese style. Everyone had a big laugh at the end of his story!

9th Hokkori Cafe “Get to Know Kenya” Dec 4, 2016 (S-177)

On December 4th, about 20 people gathered for our 9th International Café Meeting (Hokkori Café) where we had Stephen Njane Njehia san, Maringa Christine Wanja san, and Chika Sasahara san talk about Kenya. Stephen san and Maringa san talked about their country and its culture, and then Chika san, who had worked in Kenya for 2 years as a JICA volunteer, talked about her experiences while she was in Kenya.
The speakers were all amazing at talking and entertaining the audience with their fun quizzes and a song (one of the songs from the movie Lion King!). The audience seemed to be very interested since it was a rare opportunity to get to know about Kenya.

8th Hokkori Cafe “Hungary and Japan: different or similar?” “Why soil fauna is imporant and how can we measure them? EDAPHOLOG System, a new, automated system for monitoring soil fauna.” July 2, 2014 (S-174)

38 participants came to our Hokkori Café meeting. The participants listened attentively to the presentation of Dr. Csongor as they enjoyed coffee or iced plum juice. The presentation was full of ideas and everybody was interested in listening in a relaxed atmosphere to his comments on Hungary and his specialized field, soil. Many people remarked that the talk was easy to understand, interesting, and significant, and that the atmosphere was pleasant and friendly.

7th Hokkori Cafe “Myanmar: People, Culture and Natural Resources” Oct 18, 2013 (S-130)

A Hokkori Cafe was held on Oct 18th. Mya Thandar Toe, an international student from Myanmar, gave a talk, illustrated by photographs and a video on Myanmar people, culture and natural resources. The presentation was fun and interesting. Participants enjoyed listening to her talk as they had coffee and snack from Myanmar, she offered, in a comfortable environment.

6th Hokkori Cafe”Food Culture in the Us”, “An Introduction to Radiation Safety” June 27, 2012 (S-130)

A Hokkori Cafe was held on June 27th. Philip Nguyen, an international student from the United States, first gave a talk, illustrated by photographs and a video on problems with contemporary American food culture. Following that, he offered an explanation of radiation monitoring devices and radiation safety. Participants listened intently as they enjoyed coffee and snacks in a comfortable environment.

5th Hokkori Cafe ” A brief description of Clombia: a mega-diverse country” Dec 16, 2011 (S-130)

The fifth Hokkori cafe was held on December 16. Ms. Laura Liliana Abril Garcia, M1 student in the Division of Environmental Science and Technology, gave us a presentation entitled “A brief description of Colombia: a Mega-Diverse Country.” Since Colombia was not very familiar to many of the participants, they were glad to have this opportunity to acquire knowledge of the country. The method and style of presentation were interesting. Participants enjoyed listening in a casual and lively atmosphere.

4th Hokkori Cafe “A shrt description of Bolivia and its people” November 10, 2010 (S-130)

The fourth Hokkori Cafe was held on November 10, with sixteen participants including Kyoto University international and Japanese students, professors, and staff, plus visitors from outside. International student Javier Montano, who comes to us from Bolivia, talked about his home country, located almost exactly on the opposite side of the globe from Japan. As they took coffee and snacks in a relaxed, cozy atmosphere, participants gave their attention to Javier’s meaningful presentation that included photos and graphs. Enthusiastic participants remarked, “I enjoyed hearing about a country I knew nothing about,” “ People’s lives and what they take for granted are so different in different parts of the world, “ and “I want to come to more events like this.”

Special Lecture”Dashi Experince” February 22, 2010 (S-128)

A special lecture of “Dashi Experience” was held for international students and foreign research scholars. First a presentation in English on the varieties and virtues of kelp and bonito, and where they are produced, was offered by Dr. Hanae Yamazaki, of “Strategies for the Future of Food.” After that, how to make dashi-often called the life of Japanese cuisine-was actually demonstrated by Takuji Takahashi, master chef of famous historic restaurant Kinobu. After the demonstration, participants tasted the soup made from kelp and bonito dashi. Visiting professors and international students appreciated the deep, complex taste of dashi, commenting enthusiastically that they had experienced and understood the secret of the deliciousness of Japanese food.

3rd Hokkori Cafe “Challenge of Agriculture in Mozambique” November 10, 2009 (S-130)

The topic of the meeting, “Challenges of Agriculture in Mozambique,” was offered by first year Masters degree student Custodio Tacarindua from Mozambique. Because Mozambique was not familiar among the participants, they were attracted and interested by stories of its beautiful coast and savory food. Many lively questions were asked, and the atmosphere of the meeting was pleasant and peaceful, like a coffee break.

Special Lecture “How to Feel and Think in English” September 30, 2009 (W-100)

We invited popular personality Hiroki Sato FM Kyoto αstation to give this special lecture, entitled “How to Feel and Think in English.”Based on rich international experience, the lecture not only focused on language study but also touched on differences between the Japanese and English language cultures, offering valuable insights. The audience was surely very impressed. This meaningful presentation lasted one and a half hours, including a vigorous question and answer period. We are truly grateful to Mr. Sato and the participants. The lecture poster can be downloaded from the following linked Website: 2009/9/30 ” How to Feel and Think in English”

2nd Hokkori Cafe “Farming the Himalaya Mountains”

Lecturer: Ms. Shanta Karki (Agronomy & Horticultural Science D3)
Date：December 22nd (Mon.) / 2008年12月22日(月) 15:30 – 17:00
Place： Wooden Building, Meeting Room (Next building to Bld. of Graduate School of Agriculture/Biostudies) / 旧演習林 会議室 (農学・生命科学研究棟隣 木造建物)
Participant: about 30 persons

1st Hokkori Cafe “Vietnam Agriculture”

Lecturer: Ms. Do Thi Di Thien (Applied Life Sciences M1)
Date： October 21st(Tue.) / 2008年10月21日(火) 15:30 – 17:00
Place： Wooden Building, Meeting Room (Next building to Bld. of Graduate School of Agriculture/Biostudies) / 旧演習林 会議室 (農学・生命科学研究棟隣 木造建物)
Participant: about 40 persons