[NPO/NGO × Artist × Dentsu Inc. × Global Food Issues] What We Can Do About Global Food Issues.

In October , coinciding with World Food Day month, Dentsu Inc. collaborated with NPOs, NGOs, and international organizations to co-produce the song "Gohan Hanhan" ("Let's Think About Eating"). On October 4th, they performed it live for the first time at "Global Festa Japan 2015," Japan's largest international cooperation event held in Odaiba, Tokyo. Immediately after the live performance, while the excitement was still palpable, the members involved in the production gathered to discuss "eating."

Those gathered included Yuka Masuda from Hunger Free World, the call-to-action group for World Food Day month; Yoichi Suzuki from Oxfam Japan; the two artist groups who developed the song, DJ Miso Shiru and MC Gohan (hereafter Omiso-han) and Keroponzu (hereafter Kero-san and Pon-san); and the Dentsu Inc. Social Contribution Department providing back-end support for this initiative, along with the creators who planned and produced it.

We reflected on the importance of conveying the joy and significance of food to children and the meaning of expanding the movement's reach.

A promising first live performance.

Kanzaki: Great job on the "Eating" themed live show! It was the first collaboration live show between Omisohan and Keroponz. How did you find it?

Omisohan: It was fun! I learned so much through this song—about world cuisines, the word "delicious" in different languages, and more. I was also thrilled that the kids picked it up so quickly and sang and danced along.

Kero-san: We have a little glutton (Pon-san) at home too, and many of Kero Ponzu's songs are about food. So we really connected with this concept and were honored to create this song. We also learned about global food issues we weren't aware of before.

Kanzaki: How about you, Manda-san and Suzuki-san? Last year we made nearly 20 web videos together for "Stories About Thinking About Eating," but this year it's a song.

Mitsuda: Last year's videos seemed to capture the interest of people who already knew a bit about "global food issues." This year's song is resonating more broadly with people who are interested in "food" and want to cherish it, and they're helping spread it.

Miso-han, who absolutely loves eating and is full of affection for food. And Keroponzu, who's hugely popular with kids. On today's stage, the children immediately started singing and dancing along naturally.

Around me, parents are posting on social media about their kids singing and dancing. I truly feel we've created a song that parents can enjoy too.

Suzuki: When favorite artists raise global issues at live venues, it helps build awareness. So I think this time, fans of Omisohan and Keroponz started thinking about "eating."

While this Global Festa is an event originally attended by people interested in global food issues, having participants from the music, dance, art, and entertainment industries creates opportunities for even more people to think about food.

Songs that make you think about eating have the power to reduce picky eating among children.

Kanzaki: We conducted an experiment using this song we created together, "Gohan Hanhan: A Song About Thinking About Eating." Under the supervision of Associate Professor Yoko Suga from Kanto Gakuin University's Faculty of Nutrition, we had children at the Nobinobi Nobayon Kindergarten in Kanagawa Prefecture dance and sing this song before lunch for one week.

In the post-experiment parent survey, responses indicating "picky eating" decreased by 13 points compared to before the experiment. Furthermore, responses stating "they started eating things they disliked" increased by 7 points.

Omisohan: This is the first time I've seen the effects of song and dance quantified. Maybe it's because they're singing about things like "fun" and "delicious"?

While it's important to convey messages like "Let's think about global food issues" or "Eat without being picky," I was really struck by the incredible power of song to actually drive action.

Pon-san: Kids rely more on their senses than thinking things through, right? So when you tell them "Eat up!" or "Don't leave any leftovers," it can actually kill their appetite.

Mamada: Exactly. Telling them "Stop leaving food on your plate" or "You have to eat everything" takes the fun out of eating. I think this song helped convey the joy of food.

It would be wonderful if it broadened their horizons and made them wish for people all over the world to be able to eat deliciously and happily. It might be difficult for kindergarteners, but if they happen to remember it when they're in middle school, high school, or college...

Suzuki: There's that tickling dance move, right? It's a move that only works if you have someone to do it with, so maybe it makes eating together feel natural.

I think tackling social issues isn't about a sense of duty. It's about having childhood experiences that make you naturally think, "Doing this makes people happy, right?" That way, even as adults, we can instinctively and naturally work towards solving problems.

The key to moving a child's heart is whether you can enjoy it together with them.

Kanzaki: As an advertising creator, I have a question for Keropon-san: Do you have any tips for moving children's hearts, or things you keep in mind when creating songs?

Omisohan: I'd like to hear that too (laughs).

Kero-san: First, we make sure we enjoy creating it ourselves. Beyond that, we strive for simplicity.

Pon: Personally, I feel the same way—if something's fun, I want to do it; if it tastes good, I want to eat it. We create by cherishing that simple, intuitive feeling that moves children's hearts.

Kanzaki: So enjoying it yourself is key, right?

Pon: Exactly! I really enjoyed making this song myself. I absolutely love eating (laugh).

Kanzaki: I think Omisohan moves fans' hearts because you write lyrics and compose music about the "cooking" you love. When I hear Omisohan's songs, it really makes me want to cook, or rather, it makes me hungry.

Omisohan: I get all fluttery imagining scenes where kids remember songs I wrote, like "Stuffed Bell Peppers," and later in life think, "Huh, why can I make stuffed bell peppers? How do I know how?" or "My wife is cooking while singing some weird song!" Even if they forget me, I want them to always remember the joy of cooking.

Mamada: Many people feel they want to do something about global food issues. But take a college guy who never cooks—if he tries to change things by cooking for himself, he might actually end up wasting more food. So if he listens to Omi-san's songs with recipes and decides to take action on food issues, wouldn't it be great if he could already cook properly?

Suzuki: When people in Japan try to take action on global challenges, many feel the barriers are incredibly high. But singing this song with friends becomes an activity addressing food issues. Lowering those barriers like that is another great thing about this song.

Iida: As a copywriter, I'd like to ask about how you crafted the lyrics, like the repeating phrase "Gohan Hanhan"?

Kero: "Gohan Hanhan" sounds fun, doesn't it? (laughs) I thought the playful rhythm of words, like "Ice cream is nice! Rice is ice cream?" or puns like that, would be good. Also, I might have been inspired by the "gohan" in "DJ Miso and MC Gohan"... That's about it. (laughs)

Iida: So the hint comes from things that are fun to create yourself, huh.

Kanzaki: Omisohan, you always write your own lyrics and compose your own music. How did you feel singing this song?

Omisohan: To be honest, I've never really made a song that resonated with kids before. I only had songs about detailed recipes. Getting to sing something with such simple lyrics and melody gave me a new goal and was a great learning experience!

Kero-san: Omisohan... (tears).

Kagoshima: At Dentsu Inc., we work to convey messages through advertising. When the content is challenging, we explore ways like incorporating entertainment elements. Both Omisohan and Kero-Ponzu appear on children's programs on E-TV. When conveying something, is there anything you pay particular attention to?

Omisohan: Huh, what could it be... I'm always so overwhelmed. I don't really have any tricks! (laughs)

Kero-san: For Kero Ponzu, we really focus on keeping things simple so kids can play right away. Since we have a lot of play songs, it's about making things kids can sing along to instantly, or play with immediately.

Pon-san: We really see this when doing live shows everywhere. Kids latch on if they find something fun, but they lose interest instantly if it's boring—they're super straightforward. While singing, you're like, "Oh, they're zoning out now, oh no, oh no, let's try the next one!" (laughs). If the reaction's good, we keep going with it; if not, we cut it out right away.

Kids live honestly with their feelings, so if you connect with those feelings, you can enjoy things together. That transcends language barriers. Even in countries where we don't speak the same language, if it's fun, kids will gather around excitedly. If it's boring, everyone just gets cold. We made the songs this time with the image of kids being able to enjoy them together.

Uemura: Is it made completely for children?

Pon-san: We do keep parents in mind to some extent, but no one is as honest as kids (laughs). If the kids don't get up, the adults won't either. That middle ground between kids and adults is tricky.

Uemura: You don't make it just for kids because it's "for kids," right?

Kero: We probably need to make it something adults can also play with and enjoy "to a certain extent." That "to a certain extent" part is the tricky bit.

Pon: Just pandering to kids isn't fun. It has to be something you can laugh and stumble over together with kids, or it's not interesting.

Kids sometimes think like adults, you know? If you make something thinking "it's for kids," they might be like, "Huh!? Don't treat me like an idiot!" So, when you can both think "This is fun!" together, you connect. That feeling is important, I think.

Kanzaki: Whether it's for kids or adults, first shape something you genuinely believe in, then see if it can be enjoyed together, if it sparks that sense of fun.

If you try something and it doesn't work, you change it. That's similar to advertising, especially digital communication. Advertising and promotion use the PDCA method: think of an idea, try it out, see the reaction, change it if it's bad, keep doing it if it's good. Kero Ponz are actually spinning PDCA at high speed right there on stage in front of the kids.

I recently watched Omi-san's live performance at the Rock in Japan Festival stage. It was the opposite of Kero Ponzu-san – the feeling of not knowing what's coming next was incredible. Serendipity, you might say.

Like suddenly yelling, "Let's make ice!" (laughs). You can't take your eyes off them; you just can't leave them alone. I think Kero Ponzu's way of capturing kids' hearts and managing that distance, combined with Omisohan's "can't leave them alone" vibe and the feeling you can't look away, creates an exquisite world when they collaborate.

Expanding the circle of empathy.

Nomura: We at Dentsu Inc. plan communication, while the World Food Day campaign group tackles food issues directly. Then there's Omisohan, who sings about "eating," Kero Ponzu who keeps inspiring children's hearts, and Professor Suga from Kanto Gakuin University's Nutrition Department, who brings a scientific perspective to "eating."

As part of Dentsu Inc. social contribution, working with everyone this year, I feel the circle is expanding year by year and moving in a positive direction. We definitely want to sustain this action.

Mitsuda: Given our nature as an NGO, we tend to be serious—or rather, our messages and delivery methods can become rigid. Working with everyone this time allowed us to reach far more people than we could have with NGO efforts alone. I hope we can continue expanding this circle of empathy together.

Suzuki: Eating is something we do every day, right? There's an industry term called "quick meals" (サク飯) for eating hurriedly. When I'm busy, I end up having "quick meals" at my desk, and I never really feel that sense of gratitude, that feeling of "Itadakimasu" (I humbly receive this meal).

This is the reality in Japan. Oxfam originated in the UK, and we sometimes visit Western countries for training on awareness-raising case studies. There, the barriers to public interest and participation in social issues, including food problems, are lower. For example, an event on food issues held at a US university drew over 150 participants, and such turnouts are not uncommon.

When we engage with society in Japan, these examples are useful references. However, simply introducing communication methods designed for Western cultures directly into Japan often fails to resonate. That's where Dentsu Inc.'s expertise in crafting messages that connect with Japanese society becomes invaluable.

Collaborating with Dentsu Inc. to develop communication strategies broadens our ideas. For instance, adapting this song to Japanese culture—perhaps creating a local parody version.

Kanzaki: Japan is often called the world's most long-lived nation. Put another way, that means it's also the country where people spend the most time eating in their lives. So, I believe Japan can become an even better country if eating is enjoyable and brings happiness. We're working with the belief that if "eating" becomes enjoyable worldwide and more people experience that feeling of "delicious," the world will become a better place.

Eating is living. A message for everyone.

Kanzaki: One final word each. Omisohan, please.

Omisohan: I've been making songs themed around eating, but I've become even more determined to learn to cook for myself. Cooking your own meals makes you think about where your food comes from and sparks consideration of global food issues. I'd be happy if people who listen to "Gohan Hanhan" become aware of food issues. Thank you.

Kero-san: Besides this "Gohan Hanhan," Pon-chan came up with another song. It's called "Eating is Living."

Pon-san: The lyrics are a bit serious, though.

Kero: But truly, "Eating is Living." If eating can bring happiness, then families can be happy, children can be happy, and the world can be happy. We want to start with the small things we can do ourselves – within our families, schools, and communities. Pon-chan actually has his own vegetable garden.

Pon-san: I'm self-sufficient, growing things like pumpkins.

Kero: I got some of that pumpkin, and it was so delicious it almost made me cry. I thought, "Ah, this is the pumpkin Pon-chan grew." I decided I wouldn't save any of it, I'd savor every bite.

I think that even starting from such small places, if we take action on the world's food issues, the world can change, it can be changed.

Pon-san: We eat the energy that lived in that pumpkin, right? I think it's better to feel that through food closer to home. At the elementary school near us, they grow rice using the duck farming method, harvest it, slaughter the ducks, and eat them. That becomes a lesson in receiving living life. It's a bit of a tough topic, though.

Kanzaki: They say the origin of "itadakimasu" (I humbly receive) comes from receiving a life, right?

Pon-san: Exactly. But when kids only eat things packaged in plastic, they rarely feel like they're actually eating something that was once alive.

I heard about O-miso-han growing bean sprouts in the cup of cup noodles, and I thought that was really great. Because you can feel that the sprouts you grew are in this miso soup.

I hope this song encourages more people to think about "eating" and feel the happiness of eating, even just a little.

Mamada: "To eat is to live" – I completely agree. Hunger Free World operates precisely on that principle. If you can't eat properly, you can't work, you can't concentrate on studying, and you get sick. No matter what you do, eating is the most fundamental and essential thing.

Both Omisohan and Keroponzu take food seriously and approach it with love. I strongly resonated with how they share the same feelings we, the organizations calling for action during World Food Day month, want to convey. I hope this song, which embodies that, spreads throughout Japan and the world.

I'd be thrilled if it helps expand the circle, encouraging even a few more people to think, "What can I do to help everyone in the world eat happily?" or "Let's start with what we can do."

Suzuki: In my line of work, I often look at examples from other countries. Changing the world isn't about logic; it's about feeling. This time, they're creating a movement by expressing their feelings through song and dance. I think singing about it helps people consider things they might not normally see.

Seeing the potential for Japan to create movements like other countries gave me energy. Since this was a roundtable where we listened to songs about "eating" and thought about "eating," I'm suddenly getting hungry (laughs). Thank you very much.

Kero-san: If we get another chance, I'd love to collaborate with Omisohan again!

Pon-san: Yeah~! Yo~!

Omisosan: Thank you (laughs).