Ichigaya】"Hajimari no ichibanpo café (First Step Cafe)" was held (September 5).

The Hajimeichi Cafe is designed to provide a place where people can casually talk about "social issues" and "volunteering," which often have a stiff or serious image, and also to provide an opportunity to take action. The theme of the third session was "Animal Protection and Welfare. After greetings and an ice-breaker, a group session was held, followed by free discussions on numerical regulations, pet stores, and the killing of animals. By discussing what they thought about the existence of pet stores, the current status of numerical regulations, and what they could do, the participants were able to share their "First Steps: What you can do for animal protection and welfare" at the end of the session. Finally, we introduced the VSP and volunteer activities.

Impressions of Planning Students

When we talked about numerical value regulation in the past, we thought it would be a good next subject, and we were allowed to get fully involved in the planning of the Hajiichi Cafe for the first time. Based on the motivation for participation on the application form, we learned that there were several people who were actually involved in the activities and wanted to hear what they had to say, so we set up an initial talk session with seven or eight people to share information. During this time, the participants shared their reasons for participation in the chat room, which enabled us to understand each other's reasons for participation, their usual activities, and any questions they had, which facilitated a smooth and efficient conversation. After the hour was over, four people remained who wanted to talk further, and I was able to spend a very productive time listening to people who were not in my group. I feel that the participants were able to exchange opinions with each other and talk about what they could not talk about during the planning, which increased their satisfaction with the event. One good thing about this event was that we had time to give a lecture in advance to the members who would be participating on the day of the event, so that they could understand the detailed flow of the project, including time allocations. I hope this lecture will be continued in the future, as I feel that it helped all members understand the situation and respond flexibly. Personally, I felt that I was not able to play the role of facilitator well, so I would like to review the areas for improvement and make the most of the next opportunity. (Rin Tomioka, 2nd year student, Department of Markets and ManagementFaculty of Business Administration )

Impressions of participating students

I think there are many people who are interested in animal welfare but don't know what they can do. I thought that by sending out a lot of information to such people, it would lead to various volunteer activities. I was not sure what I should do for animal welfare, but I am glad that I was able to learn what I can do now by participating in today's Haji-ichi Cafe. (Yumeka Aso, 1st year student, Department of Sustainability StudiesFaculty of Sustainability Studies )

I thought it is important to know how to act from here. I would like to exchange more of my thoughts with people close to me and not turn a blind eye. I am glad that even a first-year student like me was able to participate. I learned that it is important to first have your own opinion and convey it to others. Thank you very much! (Yuna Goda, 1st year student, Department of Markets and ManagementFaculty of Business Administration )