Reviving a Lost Tradition: Otaru University of Commerce Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Enomoto Soap

2024.11.01

Otaru University of Commerce is embarking on a unique project to revive the tradition of soap making, a practice that was once a part of the university’s curriculum. The university’s predecessor, Otaru High School of Commerce, had a soap making class as a practical business subject, where students manufactured and sold soap called Takasho Soap in the town of Otaru.

This educational approach, known as “practical learning,” was a hallmark of the university’s first principal, Ryusei Watanabe. Although the tradition was lost after the war, the university has recently discovered that Takeaki Enomoto, a prominent figure in Otaru, played a significant role in the campaign to attract Otaru Takasho by making donations.

Enomoto, a chemist who studied at the Nagasaki Naval Training School and in the Netherlands, left a lasting impact on soap manufacturing in the early Meiji period. The university is now working on a project to revive the tradition of soap making in the form of Enomoto Soap, using his original recipe.

The Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Promotion Department has been supporting the Enomoto Sekiryo Project since last year, and a crowdfunding campaign has been launched to bring this project to life. The campaign will run from November 1, 2024, to November 30, 2024.

Support the revival of this unique tradition and contribute to the crowdfunding campaign. For more information, visit the campaign page: Otaru University of Commerce: Reviving Enomoto Soap

Related Topics

• Soap Making
• Otaru University of Commerce
• Takeaki Enomoto
• Crowdfunding