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Associate Professor Nishimuki and his research team visited a social farm in South KoreaHachioji Campus

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, a research team from Teikyo University Faculty of Languages and Cultures Department of Foreign Languages Associate Professor led by principal researcher Kekako Nishimukai, and Faculty of Liberal Arts Department of Sociology Associate Professor led by Youngsook Lee, Faculty of Languages and Cultures Department of Global Japanese Studies Professor led by Minako Sakata, and the same department Associate Professor led by Emi Kato, visited Plumé Social Farm in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
A "social farm" is a social enterprise where people with difficulties in employment receive necessary support and work together with other employees while engaging in autonomous economic activities. At Plumé Social Farm, where we visited, young people with developmental disabilities are working toward self-sufficiency while engaging in smart farming. Through an explanation by Mr. Young-Soo Cho, a representative of the company, and a tour of the site, participants learned about the practices at South Korea and engaged in a lively exchange of opinions. In Japan, efforts to create social firms that work together with people with disabilities, former shut-ins, and ex-prisoners and pay them equal wages are spreading, and the case of South Korea provided many suggestions for designing systems and building relationships with the community.

Starting from "human rights," the research team's research theme is to explore the mechanisms of a sustainable society, and this survey was carried out with the support of a team research grant from Teikyo University's Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization. In the future, the team plans to exhibit the results of the survey at the university's museum and develop educational activities to broaden understanding of human rights and a symbiotic society for faculty, staff, students, and general visitors. In addition, classes linked to the exhibition will provide opportunities to consider, through group work and discussion, "what kind of society is one in which the human rights of all people are respected?"

Teikyo University will continue to cultivate various knowledge through research within the university and promote initiatives that can give back to society.

Teikyo University's SDGs initiatives can be found here
For more information about Plume Social Farm, click here

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