Seeking solutions to social issues affecting parents and children

Like many other prefectures, Gunma faces social issues that affect local children, from concerns over the effects of not sharing meals with family to a lack of places to turn to in times of trouble. Gunma Yakult Co., Ltd. has service centers across the prefecture, so we decided to utilize one of them to strengthen our ties with the local community and contribute to resolving these issues. We realized that the registered nutritionists and childcare workers who work in our Kids' Rooms at our service centers would be able to offer advice regarding child nutrition and parenting concerns, which would in turn support our efforts to help achieve a healthy society. These ideas led us to establish a Yakult cafeteria for children in October 2021 called Genki Shokudo.

Genki Shokudo is an initiative established to offer meals and fun events for local parents and children. It is open on the 4th Saturday of every month. Admission is free for children under high school students, and 300 yen for adults. In 2022, we held our Genki Shokudo event 12 times and welcomed 360 visitors (including 195 children) in total. Aside from providing meals, we also held nutrition education classes taught by registered nutritionists, health classes taught by health experts, fire drills in association with Disaster Preparedness Day, and specialized by childcare support professionals. We also held a variety of seasonal events, including Tanabata in July, suikawari (watermelon splitting) in August, and ohagi bean cake making in September.

Scene of the Genki Shokudo

Expanding our connections throughout local communities with Genki Shokudo

When we first opened Genki Shokudo in October 2021, we struggled to spread awareness and attract visitors. Nowadays, thanks to regular attendees and word of mouth, we reach maximum capacity every time we open the doors, and continue to receive positive feedback. Although we used disposable dishware at first, we have steadily acquired washable, reusable containers, which we use as a way to introduce children to the SDGs.

Because we hold Genki Shokudo on Saturdays, we initially had operational issues due to the employees working on that Saturday needing to take time off during the week to balance out the additional hours worked. We therefore decided to create an internal project team in fiscal 2023, which has increased the number of staff members available to participate. Students from nearby universities hoping to become social workers have also started volunteering in shifts every month, which has led to new relationships between our company, local communities, and local universities.

Attendees have told us how children who refuse to eat certain vegetables at home are willing to eat those same vegetables when they come to Genki Shokudo. Many others have expressed their delight as well, some mentioning that they appreciate having a place they can visit once a month since they work long hours every day, while others enjoy being able to share school information with other parents.

Neighborhood associations notify people when the cafeteria will be open by using circulating community bulletin boards. One association president remarked, “Right now, local community ties are weak, and there’s no one to organize events like this. I’m happy that companies are taking the lead.” Our work through the Genki Shokudo has resulted in us receiving requests from neighborhood associations to hold health workshops, while others have purchased our products to use as gifts at neighborhood events. It certainly feels like we have a deeper relationship with the local community as a result of these efforts.

An example of a meal served at the cafeteria

Seeking to resolve issues with local communities as a pillar of a mutually supportive society

Our Genki Shokudo activities have also helped us establish a relationship with an organization that operates a children’s cafeteria in Maebashi and provides food assistance and other forms of support to underprivileged households. We have passed information about Yakult job openings to this organization as a way of providing employment support. We also served on the executive committee of the Gunma Child Food Fair, and we hope to build a relationship with the prefectural childcare support division and develop a cooperative partnership to address issues facing local communities.

Through the Genki Shokudo initiative, we have developed new connections with people outside of our our core business field and received support from local communities. At the same time, we have been able to convey that Yakult is a trustworthy presence in those communities. As a pillar of a mutually supportive society, we will continue to build stronger regional ties as we seek to become an indispensable part of our customers’ lives.

Fire drill in association with Disaster Preparedness Day

Mochi-making event held in cooperation with a neighborhood association