Collection of short message cards posted online

Q:

I have a question. Following the recent announcement regarding the abolition of the Gakushoku Pass, there is information that the University of Tokyo may follow the trend of other university co-ops and abolish the 10% discount on books for members. Regarding this, I would like to ask whether a decision has been made at this point regarding the abolition of the discount, and whether abolition is being considered at the management level

In addition, as we believe there are many students, faculty and staff members who are interested in this matter, we would also like to request that an official announcement be made in either case

A:

Regarding your inquiry regarding whether the 10% discount on books offered to members will be abolished, the University of Tokyo Co-op has no plans to abolish the current discount on books offered to members

Q:

I know an international student who is a heavy cafeteria user and makes the effort to walk all the way from the Komaba Research Campus to the Komaba First Cafeteria just to eat. Since he can't read Japanese, I thought he would be happy if there were message cards that could be written in English. I
also think that creating an English version of the message cards would be very useful in understanding the difficulties non-Japanese speakers who use the cafeteria have and any misunderstandings they may have about how to use the cafeteria.

A:

Even now, some people are still writing letters in English at the Central Cafeteria and elsewhere, but as you have pointed out, we would like to consider some kind of response. While the information is written in store and on forms, Inquiries - University of Tokyo Consumer Co-op (utcoop.or.jp) , so we would appreciate your patience.

Q:

The other day, I ordered a large cutlet curry, but the volume ratio of rice to curry was about 2:1, which was really unbalanced.
I don't know if it's because of high prices, but I wish they'd either reduce the amount of rice or increase the amount of curry sauce.

Also, it's hot during meals, so I would like you to lower the air conditioning setting

A:

Regarding your comment about the amount of curry and rice, the recipe remains the same as before COVID-19: 320g of rice and 190g of curry roux, and is standardized across all university cafeterias. We will once again check in the Central Cafeteria to ensure that the curry is presented according to the recipe.
Regarding the air conditioning in the hall, some of the power components had worn out, and it appears that the room was not cooling sufficiently. We will begin work on replacing the parts on Monday, July 4th.

Q:

The beef cut steaks at the live kitchen corner always sell out quickly, so I'd like to see them improve that. I
've always looked forward to it, but I've never been able to eat it...
Also, I'd like to see them improve their operations between 6pm and 7pm. There's always a long line at the register, so why don't they hire more cashiers?

A:

We apologize for any inconvenience.
Regarding your previous comments regarding the live kitchen, our corner is currently open from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and the planned number of meals is set based on recent business performance. It is difficult to make adjustments while minimizing food waste, which is why some menu items are sold out before 2:00 PM. Regarding the
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM shift, we have seen an increase in usage after 5:00 PM since the beginning of May, and although we are recruiting staff, we are currently struggling to fill positions. We will continue to recruit staff. We also ask all users to cooperate by using cashless payment to speed up service.

Q:

The QR code on the notice about the "One Word Card" posted in the Central Cafeteria is incorrect.
This is probably because the URL has been changed but the notice has not been updated, so the linked page does not exist.

A:

Thank you for pointing this out.
We have corrected it as soon as possible. Thank you very much.
If you have any other concerns, please use this contact form. Thank you in advance.

Q:

The live kitchen's opening hours are too short.
Even though they ask customers to spread out their use until 1:30 PM to reduce congestion, when I arrived at 1:40 PM, they had already sold out. Even if it's difficult to stay open all day, I hope they will continue to operate until around 3 PM.

A:

Thank you for pointing this out. We also apologize for any inconvenience caused. Currently, our corner is open from 11:00 to 14:00, but yesterday we reached the planned number of meals at around 13:30 and had to close the corner. First, we will review the planned number of meals with the staff in charge so that we can continue to serve the menu until 14:00. Regarding extending our hours until 15:00, this will take some time as it will involve changes to our organization, but we will proceed with preparations for the extension. Thank you for your understanding

Q:

At the recent general meeting, it was decided that we would start a secondhand goods business to trade in computers, but would it also be possible to buy and sell used books on campus? We believe that there is a great demand for specialized books on campus

A:

Thank you for using the Co-op. Regarding purchasing used books, we do not have the financial resources to develop a purchasing system like a secondhand bookstore, and it is difficult to train personnel with the skilled knowledge required for purchasing, as is the case at secondhand bookstores. Considering the recent trends in book sales, we are currently unable to immediately begin purchasing and selling used books. We will consider future possibilities within the Co-op based on your feedback

Q:

There was a large amount of green stains on the inside of a white cup.
I took a sip without noticing and it made me feel very sick.
I understand that there have been many complaints about the cleaning of the cups, but are there any plans to improve this?

A:

Regarding the teacup washing process, when we received a similar complaint previously, we changed our operations to include bleaching twice a week in addition to the regular washing. We have not received any similar complaints since then. We
will share this complaint with our staff and re-examine our work operations and checks.

Q:

The tanmen in the noodle section was very delicious. Is there a possibility that it will be revived in other restaurants in the future?
*I would like to eat vegetables in bulk as much as possible.

Also, is it possible to serve just stir-fried vegetables?
Raw vegetables just take up space, so I would prefer stir-fried vegetables.
By the way, I always enjoy the okra!

A:

Thank you again for your feedback.
Thank you for trying our "Tanmen." We are very happy to receive your kind words. "Tanmen" will be served at the Second Cafeteria and the Faculty of Agriculture Cafeteria, and will be served on a daily basis at the Second Cafeteria.
Regarding "stir-fried vegetables," the Central Cafeteria will be offering "Stir-fried Pork and Vegetables with Salt" in the cafeteria corner for one week only next week. Please give it a try. If we receive many requests after that, we will consider offering it again.

Q:

After waiting in line for a long time at the live kitchen corner, we were told at the last minute that it was sold out.
If it was sold out, they should have told us quickly, otherwise it would have been a waste of time. I wonder what the point of waiting in line was.

A:

Thank you for pointing this out. We are also very sorry for the inconvenience caused. Normally, we inform you that the item is sold out and offer our apologies before you line up. We will confirm the facts with our staff and will implement procedures, checks, and guidance to prevent a recurrence. We are very sorry.
If you have any concerns, please use this contact form.