On April 28, the Consumer Affairs Agency announced the winners of the Prime Minister’s Award for 2021 Distinguished Contribution to Consumer Support. This award, held every year since the establishment of the agency in 2009, recognizes people and organizations that make extremely outstanding achievements in protection and promotion of consumer interests. Okayama University Hoyukai, a law students’ society approved by the Faculty of Law, was awarded.

Hoyukai, now consists of 47 members, has been continuously visiting local junior high schools and high schools, including Okayama Ichinomiya High School, Seishin Junior High School, Seishin Girls’ High School, and Soshi Gakuen High School, to promote legal and consumer education since 2017. They have given workshops with role-play and group-work, using teaching materials from the Consumer Affairs Center of Okayama Prefecture, to discusses about consumer legal issues that are closely related daily life such as “Are there any legal problems with buying a concert ticket from a scalper?” or “What kind of your posts on the internet can cause legal problems?” Their contribution to consumer education in the local community was highly evaluated and worthy of the Prime Minister’s Award, the most honourable prize among Awards for Distinguished Contribution to Consumer Support. The award ceremony will be held at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 31.

In response to the news, KIYOHARA Kazuaki, the president of Hoyukai and a third-year law student commented, “We are very grateful to staffs and consultants of the Consumer Affairs Center of Okayama Prefecture, teachers at local junior high schools and high schools, lawyers of the Okayama Bar Association, and professors of the Faculty of Law and Okayama University for their continuous support. Without their support, we would not have been able to win this award. We will make further efforts to offer higher quality teachings to our community.” Associate Professor HAMADA Yoko of the Faculty of Law, a chief advisor to Hoyukai, stated, “This is the result of the students’ hard work. They always fully prepared for each class through repeated meetings and rehearsals, shared what they have learned from the experiences, and developed the inheritance their seniors have left for them. They are always full of positive energy and are willing to cooperate with others.”