- What is the Kyoto Student Public Relations Department?
- What is Kotokare?
- Workshop
- “Heian Shrine Photo Session”
- “Gion Kagetsu University”
- Public Relations Department Recruitment
- inquiry
What is the Kyoto Student Public Relations Department (Business Overview)?
As competition between universities is expected to intensify due to a long-term decline in the population of 18-year-olds, it is necessary to more actively promote the appeal of Kyoto as a “city of universities and students” to junior and senior high school students who will become university students in the future.
As a result, the University Consortium Kyoto and Kyoto City have established the “Kyoto Student Public Relations Department” as a new collaborative initiative to promote the “real charm of Kyoto” experienced by university students studying in Kyoto during their student life to junior and senior high school students nationwide from a student perspective. The Kyoto Student Public Relations Department will promote
the appeal of university life in Kyoto, which has been planned, interviewed, and written by students, through a dedicated website “Kotokare,” SNS, events, etc.
Support system
What is Kotokare?
“Kotokare”, a media outlet introducing the real lifestyles of Kyoto’s university students
, is a website that distributes various content planned, interviewed and written by the Kyoto Student Public Relations Department, and was launched on October 1, 2015.
<URL> https://kotocollege.jp/ 
Kotokare’s Policy
The name was decided by a vote of the members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club, based on the name idea that the club members came up with at a workshop.
The abbreviation of “College in the Ancient Capital” expresses the essence of Kyoto and the school, while also being easy for junior and senior high school students to remember and remember. The
club members also created the following logo under the supervision of a professional designer.
The vertical and horizontal lines represent the paths that various students walk, and express how these students intersect in various ways to form a circle, or community, and are connected. It
also includes an element of the “grid” layout of streets that run perpendicularly from north to south and east to west, a characteristic of the city of Kyoto.
Check out social media too!
The Kyoto Student Public Relations Club also posts information on social media! We share behind-the-scenes stories from interviews, daily activity reports, and the latest information. Please follow PR club member Koto Karen!
<Twitter> https://twitter.com/gakusei_kyoto
<Facebook> https://www.facebook.com/gakuseikyoto
<Instagram> https://instagram.com/gakusei_kyoto
Workshop
The Kyoto Student Public Relations Department conducts training aimed at improving the skills of its members.
Workshop 1
Event Outline
- theme:
- Considering “What makes a good article?” – from interview preparation to writing
- event date:
- Thursday, April 20, 2023 18:40-21:00 [Finished]
- place:
- Campus Plaza Kyoto 5th floor, Seminar Rooms 2-4
- Eligible participants:
- Current students attending universities, graduate schools, and junior colleges in Kyoto Prefecture (especially first and second year students), and members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club (regardless of year).
- Teacher:
- Mr. Satoshi Horikawa
Profile:
Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communication, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University.
Born in Toyama Prefecture in 1977. Graduated from Waseda University, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Department of German Literature.
After working as a foreign news reporter for Jiji Press, a correspondent in New York and Berlin, he took up his post at Kyoto Sangyo University in 2018.
His specialty is information security theory. He holds a PhD (academic).
Event Report
In conjunction with the welcome party for new students of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Department, a training session was held on the theme of how to interview and write articles. 22 students participated on the day, and the lecture was given by Professor Satoshi Horikawa (Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communication, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University), who has experience as a reporter in the mass media. The session consisted of a lecture and a workshop.
In the lecture, he talked about the structure of articles and headline patterns using actual published news as examples, and taught the key points of interviews (time management, manners, preparation, etc.), and there were many things that could be put into practice immediately, and it was impressive to see everyone listening enthusiastically while taking notes.
In the second half of the workshop, the students were divided into groups and asked to think of titles for the articles that were distributed and to think of content for articles that would make people want to go to a university in Kyoto. Each group was lively and lively, with opinions flying around.
After the workshop, many participants commented, “It was stimulating because it was the first time I had actually heard a former reporter speak,” and “I made many new discoveries about what to pay attention to when writing an article, and it was very helpful,” which shows that the workshop was a fulfilling one with many learnings and realizations.
Workshop 2
Event Outline
- theme:
- Camera Workshop – Starting with the Basics of Portrait Photography –
- event date:
- Thursday, October 26, 2023 [Ended]
- place:
- Campus Plaza Kyoto 1st floor Student Place+
- Eligible participants:
- Kyoto Student Public Relations Club members and participants in the Heian Shrine photo shoot
- Teacher:
- Shuhei Uekake
Profile:
Kyoto City Hall employee (administrative position)
Graduated from Osaka University of Arts, Department of Photography (President’s Award, General Representative) .
After graduating from a regular university, he passed the civil service exam to enter the city hall. In addition to his work, he took a wide range of photographs on the theme of “travel” in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia, Iceland, etc. In addition, he enrolled in an art university and underwent recurrent education for about six years. His
documentary works have been exhibited at museums and galleries in Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, and Paris.
Event Report
A small-group training session was held for students studying photography, consisting of members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club and students who had participated in the Heian Shrine photography session. The session focused on the theme of “portrait photography,” which is useful for interviews and other activities, and included a lecture and practical photography training.
For the practical training, participants were divided into two groups and took photos. The participants seemed very interested in the professional equipment used, similar to that used in photo studios. In a relaxed atmosphere, participants gave each other advice on how to take photos and learned about the profound depth of expression possible with a camera.
Workshop 3
Event Outline
- theme:
- Camera Training Session: How to Use Photography Equipment from Scratch
- event date:
- Wednesday, November 29, 2023 [Finished]
- place:
- Campus Plaza Kyoto 1st floor Student Place+
- Eligible participants:
- Kyoto Student Public Relations Club Member
- Teacher:
- Shuhei Uekake
Profile:
Kyoto City Hall employee (administrative position)
Graduated from Osaka University of Arts, Department of Photography (President’s Award, General Representative).
After graduating from a regular university, he passed the civil service exam to enter the city hall. In addition to his work, he took a wide range of photographs on the theme of “travel” in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia, Iceland, etc. In addition, he enrolled in an art university and underwent recurrent education for about six years. His
documentary works have been exhibited at museums and galleries in Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, and Paris.
Event Report
A small-group training session for beginners was held for members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club who are interested in cameras and want to learn more about them. In the first half of the session, participants received a lecture on the structure and basic operation of a camera, and in the second half, a photo session was held. They took photos of donuts and cups while changing the camera settings, lighting, shooting angles, etc., and learned how to take photos that look attractive.
“Heian Shrine Photo Session”
As a joint project between Heian Shrine and the Kyoto Student Public Relations Division, we held a “Heian Shrine Photo Session” with the aim of allowing students to learn about the charms of the Heian Shrine gardens.
Event Outline
■Date: Sunday, September 17, 2023, 14:00-17:00
■Location: Heian Shrine
■Participants: University students attending universities in Kyoto
■Items to bring: Camera to use for taking photos (smartphone is also acceptable), student ID
■Participation fee: Free
Event Report
A photoshoot was held in the gardens of Heian Shrine on September 17th. In addition to members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club, 23 students including camera enthusiasts and members of photography clubs participated, and they could be seen setting up their cameras in various places in the vast shrine gardens.
After the photo session, a social gathering was held between all the participants and the priests in a hall inside Heian Shrine. Each participant was asked to choose their best shot from the photos they had taken, which were then shared with the whole group and a vote was held to select the top three photos. Not just the top three, all the photos were wonderful, showing the photographer’s sense, and you can really feel the beauty of the gardens of Heian Shrine. Although it was a short time, even participants who were meeting for the first time seemed to have a lively conversation over their common interest in cameras. The event was an opportunity for the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club to learn about the charms of Heian Shrine and the joys of photography.
For more details about the day, please see the following article written by a member of the Public Relations Department.
◎ University students take lots of photos of the Heian Shrine Gardens!
“Gion Kagetsu University”
The purpose of this event is to let people learn about the charms of universities and student life in Kyoto while enjoying comedy in Kyoto.
The event was held once at the theater in 2019, and was planned by members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club and held for the first time in five years with the cooperation of Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu.
For details about the 2019 event, please see the following article.
◎ [Gion Kagetsu University finally opens!] We’ll bring you everything from the performance details to comments from the performers!
Event Outline
■Date: Sunday, February 4, 2024, doors open at 18:45, performance begins at 19:15 (ends at 20:30) [Finished]
■Location: Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu
■Performers :
Long Coat Daddy, Gion, Navy’s Afro, Genius Pianist, Nightingale Dance,
Reiwa Kita Minami Kono Ryosuke (MC), Kyoto Student Public Relations Club members, Kyoto clubs and student groups
■Contents
: Performances by comedians
, candid advice sessions for university students
, introductions to unique clubs and student groups, etc.
■Tickets: Student fee 1,000 yen (student ID required), general fee 2,000 yen
Event Report
On Sunday, February 4, 2024, Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu and the Kyoto Student Public Relations Department collaborated to hold the “Kyoto Student Public Relations Department presents Gion Kagetsu University – Alumni are back! Homecoming Day 2024.”
On the day of the event, many customers were seated up to the second floor, including many students, who were the target audience of this event.
When the event started, the performers appeared on stage and had a free talk as an opening.
Afterwards, each comedy duo performed their material, with the audience in roaring laughter throughout the show.
After enjoying the material, the show continued with a corner planned by members of the Kyoto Student Public Relations Club, a consultation session for university students and an introduction to student groups in Kyoto.
In the consultation session, problems submitted in advance by the public were taken up, and the PR club members acted as judges, asking the comedians to think of ways to solve them.
It was a time when we got to hear all sorts of funny advice and stories from the comedians’ school days.
After the consultation session, we moved on to a corner where we introduced some unique student groups from Kyoto.
This time, the following five groups appeared at the event:
Kyoto Kabaddi Circle Kamodi
. Kansai Intercollegiate Quidditch Circle KYOTO LILAC FOXES
. Ritsumeikan Double Dutch Club dig up treasure
. Kyoto University Mölkky Circle Ankka
. and Doshisha Hero Show Club.
After each group introduced themselves, the comedians experienced the activities together with them.
There were some sports that are rarely seen, and the audience cheered on the comedians and seemed to be enjoying themselves together.
In the hero show, the comedian who played the villain defeated the hero, and the whole venue was filled with laughter.
This was the first collaborative event with Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu in five years, and thanks to everyone at Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu, the comedians, and the student groups, it was a huge success. We received a lot of
positive feedback in the event survey, with people saying things like, “The content was substantial,” and “It was an event that students could easily participate in, so we hope they hold more events like this.”
For the PR club members involved in the event, being able to bring something they had planned to life in this way seemed to have led to growth and confidence, and it was a great learning opportunity for the Kyoto Student PR Club as well.
The Kyoto Student Public Relations Club official website, “Kotokare,” also has event reports written by members of the club, so please take a look.
◎ [#ComedyLiveReport] Kyoto Student Public Relations Club presents Gion Kagetsu University ~OBs and OGs are back!? Homecoming Day 2024~
Public Relations Department Recruitment
The Kyoto Student Public Relations Club is looking for members to join us!
The website “Kotokare” is planned, managed, and operated by students attending universities in Kyoto, and will spread the appeal of university life in Kyoto to junior and senior high school students across the country. Our mission is to make junior and senior high school students think, “I want to attend a university in Kyoto!”
University students in Kyoto, why not show off your ideas, passion, and teamwork as the initiators of this project?
If you would like to join or visit, please contact us using the link below.
Conditions for joining
•Undergraduate and graduate students (any year) who belong to a member school of the University Consortium Kyoto. (Click here for a list of member schools .)
•Those who can participate in activities at a base in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City (travel expenses will not be reimbursed)
•Those who can participate in activities at least once a month, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.
We are looking for students like this!
Contact Information
Consortium of Universities Kyoto, a public interest incorporated foundation Kyoto Student Public Relations OfficeTEL
075-353-9130 FAX 075-353-9101Campus
Plaza Kyoto, Nishinotoin-dori Shiokoji-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8216
※Reception hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9:00-17:00 (excluding New Year holidays)
