The Soka Student Service Center, which supports student campus life, including purchasing, magazines, and travel, began sales of halal food products from January this year as part of its measures to cope with the diversification of student nationalities, culture, and religion. This has been well received by exchanged students from abroad.

Halal food is food that accords with Islamic law. Halal means “permissible” or “legitimate” in Arabic. Such food consists of milk, fish, vegetables, and grains, as well as beef, chicken, and processed food prepared according to Islamic rules. It is prohibited to eat meat that is processed in ways contrary to Islamic law, and it is forbidden to eat pork or drink alcohol. Flavor enhancers and sweet sake, which include taboo ingredients, are not permitted as well. As halal food has not yet been disseminated widely at family restaurants or convenience stores in Japan, students have been sharing struggles regarding daily meals.

The Soka Student Service Center began sales of 10 or so products, including frozen deep-fried chicken, packet curry, instant noodles, and chili sauce, with plans to make additional orders and increase the types of products available. As products that the students are familiar with in their home countries are being sold, overall student satisfaction is being achieved regardless of whether the students are Muslim or not. One female student, studying at Soka University as an exchange student from Indonesia, commented that she is very happy with the sales of halal food, as she was struggling with what to eat. She feels grateful that she can purchase this food on campus and feels the warmth of the university staff for responding quickly to student needs.