From Wednesday, September 16 to Friday, September 18, 2026, fieldwork was conducted in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido as part of the activities for the Faculty of Business and Commerce's educational experimental project, "Local Economy & Business Unit," with the support of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
On the first day, September 16, students attended a classroom lecture at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine titled "Tokachi Studies" by Vice President Hiroyuki Iwamoto, followed by reports on preliminary studies presented by three groups of students from the Faculty of Business and Commerce. A lively Q&A session took place, including participation from students of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. After the lecture, a barbecue was held on campus, allowing students from both universities to deepen their friendships.
The following day, September 17, students from Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and the Faculty of Business and Commerce traveled together by bus for fieldwork to learn about large-scale and advanced agriculture in Tokachi. In the morning, they visited Nakajima Seisan Kumiai in Nakasatsunai Village to see rotary milking parlors and biogas power generation facilities. In the afternoon, they visited the JA Memorial Hall, potato collection and shipping facilities, and a starch factory in Shihoro Town.
During the tour, participating students sought answers to questions they had formulated during their preliminary studies, applying their learning from the Faculty of Business and Commerce to the field of agriculture. Furthermore, the students from the Faculty of Business and Commerce, who usually study in the city center, engaged in various exchanges with local university students, providing great mutual inspiration. That evening, a social gathering was held with members of the Obihiro Mita-kai over a barbecue.