Sophia Magazine vol.7 / SUMMER 2018

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Discussing how halal food be-came available on campus, Kosuke Masayama, leader of the Sophia University Office of Property, says, “When we conducted a survey of dining experiences at a student res-idence which accommodates many international enrollees, we discov-ered that a great number of Muslim students were struggling with what they could eat. Two months later, in April 2015, we started selling halal bento lunches out of a food truck, and this attracted not only Muslim but also Japanese students. It became so popular that on some days people had to wait in a queue to be served. That was when we decided to open a café where halal food could be enjoyed in a comfortable setting, and it caught much attention since we were the first university to undertake such an initiative.” Masayama sought help from Bangladeshi national Mohammad Shamim, an owner of a halal restaurant. “It is a fact that buying halal-certified ingredients is costly,” says Shamim. “But we do not wish to serve anything unworthy since it is in our belief that people’s health depends upon what they eat. So we take very seriously where we purchase our ingredients from. Our chicken for example: through careful research, we could contract with a poultry farm in Thailand to provide us with a safe product at a reasonable price. I hope that our customers will gain interest in Muslim culture through halal food.”Even within halal cuisine, there is considerable variation among countries in terms of seasonings used. That is why Tokyo Halal Deli and Café maintains a simple way of cook-ing for its dishes, and offers a wide range of seasonings from around the world for individuals to then add according to their tastes and customs. Additionally, the café also offers Iftar, a meal eaten after sundown during the Muslim fast-ing period of Ramadan. “There are students and researchers of all different religions and cultures on Yotsuya campus,” says Masayama. “This café is more than just a place to eat. I hope that it also becomes a symbol of what Sophia University stands for, a forum of cultural exchange.” Kosuke Masayama (front row left), Mohammad Shamim (front row right) and the café staffWidely known as a Catholic universi-ty, Sophia hosts one of Japan’s fore-most hubs of Islamic research: the Center for Islamic Studies. In Septem-ber 2016, the Tokyo Halal Deli and Café opened on campus to provide ha-lal food for Muslim dinersCultural Exchangethrough College Dining:Tokyo Halal Deli and Caféat Sophia30From Campus