We introduced a program for junior high school students in which students learn Kimono culture and sewing techniques by making a miniature Yukata with e-learning material which we have developed.

  The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of this program of enhancing students' interest in Kimono culture through analysis of a questionnaire survey.

  From this study, it became clear that the students had had little previous sewing experience. We learned that the students felt a sense of accomplishment by completing the difficult assignment of making a miniature Yukata. It deepened their understanding of Kimono and gave them a greater respect for people who lived in olden times. Students gained a heightened interest in Kimono culture and became motivated to inherit its culture.

  In the remote island district of Nagasaki, health support to extend healthy life expectancy as well as improve the subjective health of inhabitants is thought to be necessary. In the present study, we examined lifestyle issues and the social environment associated with the subjective health of inhabitants of this remote island district. Valid responses were obtained from 1,224 people. The ages of participants were classified into three groups: young, middle-aged and elderly. Overall, 80.7％ of respondents answered that they had good subjective health. The subjective health of the elderly group, however, was much lower. The reasons given for good subjective health varied among age groups. In the young and middle-aged groups, good subjective health was associated with the habit of eating vegetables and not having a past history of poor health. On the other hand, good subjective health of the elderly group was related to their ability to chew their food properly. With regards to the social environment, those in the young and elderly groups who have friends in their exercise groups and those in the middle-aged group who have family support for exercise gave themselves high subjective health evaluations. The results suggest that it is necessary to consider age groups when searching for solutions to health problems.

  A survey was conducted regarding the food services of elderly care facilities, hospitals, and nursery schools in the southwestern region of Hyogo Prefecture, to examine a variety of care service recipients, including the elderly, infants, and patients, as well as to discuss associated problems. The survey also included questions regarding the use of steam convection ovens. The food services provided the care service recipients with several types of cooked rice including soft cooked rice and gruel, and also used heating devices other than rice cookers. A problem discovered in elderly care facilities was that when rice was cooked using pots and stoves, the hardness of the cooked rice varied markedly. More than 50％ of the food services used steam convection ovens to cook a variety of dishes. Although few facilities used steam convection ovens for cooking rice, approximately 30 to 40％ of survey respondents answered that they would like to do so. Through this survey, the current situation of various ways of rice cooking in food services facilities was made clear, and it was learned that many facility staff are interested in cooking various types of rice simultaneously using steam convection ovens.

  A questionnaire survey was conducted on 1,235 female college students majoring in food science or textile science to clarify their preference for sweet taste. About 70％ of the students indicated that they were fond of sweet taste (sweet tooth group), while the remaining 30％ were not (non-sweet tooth group). The sweet tooth group showed a stronger tendency to regard sweets as essential in their eating habits, to crave for sweets even on a full stomach, and to have family members with sweet tooths, compared to the non-sweet tooth group. The sweet tooth group had a stronger fondness for sweets in their childhood compared to the non-sweet tooth group. We performed a multiple regression analysis defining the recognition of having a sweet tooth as the objective variable. Consequently, eating sweets as an essential eating habit was the strongest explanatory variable, followed by a craving for sweets on a full stomach, having family members with sweet tooths and having a fondness for soft drinks.