Community Revitalization Project: Kids Experience Managing a Tea House at Kawaguchi Tanabata Festival

Bunkyo Gakuin University, under President Tsutomu Fukui, collaborates with the long-established tea shop Matsuzawaen to launch a community revitalization initiative coinciding with the 71st Kawaguchi Tanabata Festival in Fujimino City, Saitama Prefecture. This special project, titled “Enjoying Tea and Connecting — Kawaguchi Tanabata Festival,” features a unique hands-on event where nine undergraduate students from the university's Faculty of Business Administration, part of the earthquake recovery support program "Bremens," join forces with Matsuzawaen to host a cross-generational exchange event called "Kids' Tea House Manager produced by Bunkyo Gakuin University Bremens" aimed at local children.

About the "Kids' Tea House Manager" Event

This event is designed for elementary school children, allowing them to step into the shoes of a "kids manager" at Matsuzawaen. Guided by university students, children will engage in the operations of the shop, starting from simple greetings like "Welcome" and "Thank you." The goal is to foster cross-generational interactions while instilling the joy of work and a love for local flavors.

In addition, part of the 500 yen participation fee for the “Kids' Tea House Manager” event will be donated to disaster relief organizations in Fujimino City and other regions. The Bremens students have been consistently involved in fundraising activities through Matsuzawaen since 2017, selling charity goods during the Kawaguchi Tanabata Festival. This year, they will again conduct sales, with all proceeds directed towards disaster relief efforts.

Event Details

- Date and Time: August 3, 2025 (Sunday) from 13:00 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:00)
- Venue: Matsuzawaen (1-1 Kawaguchi, Fujimino City, 356-0004, Saitama Prefecture)
- Target Audience: Elementary school students (ages 6-12)
- Participation Fee: 500 yen (on-site registration) - A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Fujimino City.
- Experience Duration: 1 hour per child.
- Participation Method: Registration on-site (pre-registration available via Matsuzawaen’s Instagram DM at Matsuzawaen Instagram)

Student Representative Comments

Shoko Furuta, a third-year student from the Faculty of Business Administration, mentioned, “The ‘Kids' Tea House Manager’ event provides a unique opportunity for children to experience hands-on customer service and register management in a real tea shop, engaging in creative activities related to tea. Inspired by last year’s similar collaboration with Matsuzawaen, we were motivated to participate from the planning stage this year and have worked jointly to prepare for this event. I hope this experience nurtures creativity and responsibility through real, tangible challenges that go beyond what they can do in play.”

About the "Enjoying Tea and Connecting — Kawaguchi Tanabata Festival"

The 71st Kawaguchi Tanabata Festival will host special projects centered around fostering community ties through tea. Alongside the kids' tea house management experience, two significant community promotion activities will also be held:

- Collaborative Menu Development: A menu in partnership with Josi Eiyo University and Latte Sandwich featuring a special dessert: Crunchy Tea Parfait (limited to 60 servings) on August 2, 2025, for 600 yen (with part of the proceeds donated to Fujimino City).
- Complimentary Tea for Kindergartens and Daycares: On August 2 and 3, 2025, free tea service for the first 20 children each day at Matsuzawaen.

These events showcase not only the local flavors of the region but also the concept of collaboration and community engagement at its finest.