seminar to learn about Muslim Culture in Aomori

Hi! This is Takayuki Sato, one of the guys running this page.
I'm noticing that we've been hearing the word, "Halal" more frequently in Tohoku lately.
It was not until very recently that I learned the word, "Halal" means "that which is permissible under the Islamic law," and it designates not only food and drink but also all matters of daily life.

In Japan, I think that the word "Halal" is strongly associated with food.
There was a seminar to learn about Muslim Culture in Aomori, supported by Michinoku Bank.
Key takeaway points from lectures were that, in terms of inbound tourism, it is important to improve the environment of Tohoku to attract and host visitors and international students from Islamic countries, and that it's crucial for aging Japan to partner with Islamic countries when it comes to outbound tourism.
Listening to them talk, I got excited about the future collaborations with our Muslim friends.
At the seminar site, international students from Malaysia and Indonesia participated in panel discussions and after party sharing their experiences in Aomori and Japan.
I don't really know Muslims since there aren't many of you in Japan, especially in Tohoku, but, by interacting them, I felt that we have similar perception.
I hope we can build a better society by knowing each other and exchanging our cultures!