The 8th UU-A Symposium “ The Joint International Student Symposium on African Indigenous Knowledge Contributing to SDGs”
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Subject | Medicine & Health, Bioresources & Agriculture
SHOKU-gaku－食学－
- Dentistry
- Oral Science
- Food Science
- Nutrition Science
- Microbiome
“SHOKU-gaku” is a new concept that for the first time, integrates oral science with the existing disciplines of food science and nutrition science. In 2020, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, in collaboration with Tohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural Science and Miyagi University School of Food Industrial Sciences, introduced the concept of “SHOKU-gaku”. “SHOKU-gaku” is a new Japanese word that combines “Shoku” and “gaku”. “Gaku” is a Japanese word meaning “field of study or discipline”, so “SHOKU-gaku” indicates the discipline of “Shoku”. The goal of “SHOKU-gaku” is simple yet profound. It aims to realize lifelong health and wellbeing through correct eating and right food. In this lecture, we will introduce the basic concepts, our practices, and the future of this “SHOKU-gaku”.
©Tohoku University. Last Update
2026-04-02
Content／学習内容
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The first week covers the basics of oral morphology and function. Specifically, we will learn about mastication, swallowing, and taste as oral functions, as well as oral morphology. The relationships between taste, mastication, and brain function will also be explained.
- 1-0. Introduction
- 1-1. Introduction to “SHOKU-gaku” : Transdisciplinary Science of Eating, Food, and Nutrition for Health and Wellbeing
- 1-2. Morphology and function of the oral cavity
- 1-3. The Inseparable Relationship between MASTICATION and SWALLOWING
- 1-4. Five Basic Tastes and their Receptors
- 1-5. Occlusion and Masticatory Function
- 1-6. Eating and brain function
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Week 2 covers food rheology, food texture and function, and the microbiome and its metabolic functions in the oral cavity and intestinal tract. Additionally, we will learn about the developmental and aging changes in oral function.
- 2-0. Introduction
- 2-1. Fundamentals on Rheology of Foods
- 2-2. Food texture and Oral function
- 2-3. The Microbiome and Metabolism in The Digestive Tract - The Oral Cavity -
- 2-4. Gut microbial colonization and host homeostasis
- 2-5. Relationship between oral functional development and food in children
- 2-6. Oral functions for eating in older adults
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Week 3 focuses on food and nutrition, as well as the relationship between food and various diseases. Specifically, we will learn about diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, halitosis, and flail and taste disorders, and their relationship to food.
- 3-0. Introduction
- 3-1. Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases by the usage of nutraceuticals
- 3-2. Dental Caries and Dental Erosion：Their relationship with food
- 3-3. Relationship between systemic health and periodontal disease - From the perspective of periodontal medicine
- 3-4. Halitosis related to the oral environment
- 3-5. Eating and Frailty
- 3-6. Oral medical diagnosis and treatment for taste disorders
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In Week 4, food and health are discussed not only from medical and dental perspectives, but also from the perspectives of data science and psychology. Specifically, we will learn about microbiome metabolites and systemic health, food allergies, the food system in Japan, food and health from a data perspective, and the culture and psychology of food.
- 4-0. Introduction
- 4-1. Metabolites derived from the oral microbiome and their effect on Oral/Systemic health
- 4-2. Fecal microbiota transplantation to improve microbiota for curing diarrhea in calves
- 4-3. Functional Foods for Oral Health in Japan
- 4-4. Fermented Foods and their Health Functions
- 4-5. Food Allergy : Current understanding and Future Perspective
- 4-6. Cohort Data, Food and Oral Health
- 4-7. The Psychology of Eating
- 4-8. The Japanese food culture from Oral Health outlook
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In Week 5, we explain the future of “SHOKU-gaku,” including future food materials such as insect foods and the latest food technologies such as 3D food printers, realized by Tohoku University's unique integrated wisdom, through cooperation of the life sciences and the humanities and social sciences.
- 5-0. Introduction
- 5-1. The Future of “SHOKU-gaku” Created by Integrated Wisdom
- 5-2. Creating New Choices through Cellular Agriculture
- 5-3. Shaping the Future of Food
- 5-4. Utilization of the next-generation synchrotron facility “NanoTerasu” for evaluation and development of food
- 5-5. Measurement of lipid oxidation：Antioxidant strategies for food quality and health
- 5-6. Consumer Acceptance of Food Prepared Using Food Technology
- 5-7. The Psychology of Food Palatability and Preferences
- 5-8. Is our food safe?
- 5-9. Data-driven “SHOKU-gaku” in the future
Staff／スタッフ
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- Teacher
Ken OsakaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
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Nobuhiro TakahashiTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
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Hiroyasu KanetakaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Guang HongTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Kaoru IgarashiTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Takeyoshi KosekiTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Kan SaitoTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Yuji HatakeyamaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Yoshinori HattoriTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Satoru YamadaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Minoru WakamoriTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryProfessor -
- Teacher
Toru OgawaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssociate Professor -
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Kenji TakeuchiTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssociate Professor -
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Jumpei WashioTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssociate Professor -
- Teacher
Taro KusamaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistrySenior Assistant Professor -
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Naoko TandaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistrySenior Assistant Professor -
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Shizuko SatoTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssistant Professor -
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Eriya ShimadaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssistant Professor -
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Naru ShiraishiTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssistant Professor -
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Yasue TanakaTohoku University Graduate School of DentistryAssistant Professor -
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Hitoshi ShirakawaTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceProfessor -
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Masako TodaTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceProfessor -
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Kiyotaka NakagawaTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceProfessor -
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Tomonori NochiTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceProfessor -
- Teacher
Masahiko HarataTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceProfessor -
- Teacher
Daitaro IshikawaTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceAssociate Professor -
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Keita NishiyamaTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceAssociate Professor -
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Keisuke IgarashiTohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceAssistant Professor -
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Nobuyuki SakaiTohoku University Graduate School of Arts and LettersProfessor -
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Makoto KanauchiMiyagi University School of Food Industrial SciencesProfessor -
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Yasuko YurukaMiyagi University School of Food Industrial SciencesSenior Assistant Professor -
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Hidemitsu FurukawaYamagata University Faculty of EngineeringProfessor
※The teachers’ affiliations and titles are current as of the time of recording.
Contact／お問合せ先
Center for the Advancement of Open Online Education, Tohoku University
Email: secretary.mooc@grp.tohoku.ac.jp
