Delicious School Lunches in Japan

More than 10 million elementary and junior high school students are served school lunches in 94% of the schools in Japan. Almost all elementary schools have adopted school lunches, and several junior high schools have adopted a system that allows students to choose between a lunch box and a school lunch.

School lunch system in Japan

The current school lunch system in Japan was implemented shortly after the end of World War II as a measure to prevent children from missing meals. This program, which has been in place for more than 70 years, is said to have contributed to Japan having one of the highest life expectancies in the world and one of the lowest obesity rates among adults and children in OECD countries. It is also said that school lunches in Japan are set at a higher calorie level for families who cannot or do not serve proper food at home. This may be the reason why many elementary schools for children between the ages of 6 and 12 use school lunches.

Nutritious school lunches

Japanese elementary schools use delicious, fresh ingredients that contain government-regulated levels of iron, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients. A wide variety of lunches are prepared for students by professional nutritionists at the city’s supply center of school lunches.
The standard menu consists of rice, side dishes, soup, and milk, with rice sometimes replaced by bread or noodles depending on the day. You can find dishes from many different countries.

A place to enjoy school lunch

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6年4組 渋谷分校(@64shibuya)がシェアした投稿

The “6 Nen 4 Kumi” izakaya (japanese style pub) is famous for its elementary school concept. This izakaya’s menu is based on the concept of a school lunch menu, and the interior is built in a school-like style.You can even take small tests just like at school. Here, you can enjoy nostalgic school lunch dishes such as fried bread, rice with wakame seaweed, and soft noodles, as well as unique creative dishes.It is a popular restaurant with several locations in Tokyo and also in Osaka and Fukuoka. So if you’re interested in Japanese school lunches, you should definitely go there!