Sophia University of Tokyo offers halal food lunches for Muslim students

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Monday 04 May 2015 - 12:47 Makkah mean time-15-7-1436 Sophia University is offering halal boxed lunches amid increasing number of Muslim students (Google image) Chiyoda War, Tokyo (IINA) - Catering to the needs of a growing number of Muslim students, Sophia University in Tokyo has started offering halal food lunches for sale in the university, bringing relief to Muslim students in the campus, OnIslam reported. Serving halal meals to students started last month at Sophia’s Yotsuya campus in Chiyoda Ward, which offers about 150 units daily since April 16 for prices ranging between ¥240 (2$) and ¥500, (4.16$).   The fare ranges from hamburgers and fried chicken to curry with rice. The meals are prepared and served in accordance with Islamic law, which stipulates the correct method of draining animal meat of blood and prohibits the consumption of pork products and alcohol. The decision to offer halal meals followed an earlier one to launch a student exchange program with four Southeast Asian countries last year. “Since the nationalities of exchange students are becoming more diversified, we want to continue improving the environment for them,” a university spokesman said. The University of Tokyo was the first to incorporate halal meat into its meal options in 2010 using meat ordered through the association, and four universities in the region have followed suit. In January 2014, University of Yamanashi has also started offering halal meals in their menus to cater to the needs of the growing number of Muslim students. Islam began in Japan in 1920s through the immigration of a few hundreds of Turkish Muslims from Russia following the Russian revolution. SM/IINA