After a tragic choking accident, Japan’s quail farmers are facing unprecedented trouble as inventory of unsold boiled quail eggs continues to rise.
school lunch
If you’ve ever wondered what a Japanese school lunch tastes like, you’ll want to head to this hidden gem.
A touching tale in which our brave reporter overcame his daily battle with school lunches.
We’ve outlined the top five elementary school lunch menu items that reigned supreme in the people’s collective memory.
From coffee-flavored milk to frozen mandarins, these old school favorites whisk Japanese adults back to simpler times.
Fried bread, fruity ciders, and more tasty treats from across Japan and across generations.
In the 22nd year of the Meiji era (aka 1889), the very first Japanese kyūshoku (school lunch) was served up at an elementary school in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. Although the first menu was very simply prepared, it provided the growing children with an important source of nourishment that not all of them could receive at home.
Fast-forward to 2015–Japanese schoolchildren (and their teachers!) continue to eat school lunches every day, as opposed to children in many other countries who bring their lunches from home. If you’re working in a Japanese school, you should already be familiar with the daily feeling of either excitement or disappointment when you see the lunch menu for the day. But just consider this–would you rather eat the types of lunches served today, or those that were served 100 years ago? Read on to learn about the evolution of Japanese school lunches and decide for yourself!
He’s known for his outspoken and often controversial opinions, from saying that civil servants who have tattoos should resign, to denying the forcible recruitment of South Korean “comfort women” during the second world war.
But it was an intense debate about whether students should be allowed to have furikake seasoning with their school lunch that left city mayor Tōru Hashimoto scratching his head this week as he asked the Osaka Board of Education: “What’s wrong with furikake?!”
Recreating food from our favorite movies and anime is nothing new. We’ve already seen ramen straight out of Naruto and herring and pumpkin pot pie a la Kiki’s Delivery Service. But what is unusual is that this time it’s not die-hard anime fans breathing life into 2-D delicacies, but a cafeteria at one school in Japan. You won’t believe this special school menu featuring a week of delicious looking dishes from some of Hayao Miyazaki’s most famous works.
Many people in Japan think that American school lunches are unhealthy. For the most part, they are right. When photos of the greasy fried foods and brown piles of slop that are served to students in the US surfaced on the internet, Japanese netizens were shocked. With all the talk of Americans being overweight and school lunches being fat-laden and unhealthy, our own Japanese reporter wondered, “Is it really as bad as it seems?” During his recent trip to the US, our reporter was allowed to try the lunch served at a school in the United States. The following is a translation of his encounter with American school lunch.
MOST POPULAR
Today
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
Burger King Japan offering all-you-can-eat quad-burgers, whoever eats the most gets more in December
7-Eleven Japan releases a chocolate chip sandwich… that tastes like ice cream
Starbucks adds new Fruit Gummy sweets to stores in Japan
Pump yourself up with Yokohama’s new extravagant Cool Fuel ice cream
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Weekly
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season- Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show- New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
- New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
- Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Monthly
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha- Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]- Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
- Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Yearly
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Pump yourself up with Yokohama’s new extravagant Cool Fuel ice cream
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
This shop combines traditional Japanese sweets with…mayonnaise?!?[Taste test]
Starbucks Japan releases new “torori” drinks exclusive to 7-Eleven convenience stores
Gun found in Japanese convenience store restroom, traced to forgetful on-duty cop
Shinto shrine’s night sky firefly sweets are Japan’s newest breathtaking, mouthwatering desserts.
Trigun Legacy Cafe coming to two Japanese cities this summer to salute series’ original form
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Retro fashion magazines from Tokyo’s street market remind Mr. Sato of a special gift from his dad
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
-
