Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries of JAPAN
School Lunches: a Source of Daily Anticipation
In Japan, the school year starts in April, and school lunch is one of the mostly fondly remembered aspects of school life. School lunches are said to have started in Japan in 1889 when a private elementary school in Tsuruoka Town, Yamagata Prefecture, began to provide free lunches to children from poor families. The menu at the time consisted of two rice balls, grilled, salted salmon and pickled greens.
Starting in the early 1990s, items distinctive to Japanese school lunches began to appear, such as “koppe-pan” (long bread rolls), “soft-men” (soft noodles) and sporks (spoons combined with forks). The menu has changed over time and now includes a wide variety of items, such as dishes using locally produced ingredients, local cuisine, and food eaten to commemorate traditional events. The slides below show how school lunch menus have changed over the years.
Photos: Japan Sport Council
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