School Lunch Anniversary Day

What Is School Lunch Anniversary Day?

December 24th is "School Lunch Anniversary Day" (Gakko Kyushoku Kinenbi) in Japan. On this date in 1946, a ceremony was held at Nagatacho National School (now Kojimachi Elementary School in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) to present LARA relief supplies, attended by representatives of the General Headquarters of the Allied Powers (GHQ), the Licensed Agencies for Relief in Asia (LARA), and the Japanese government. The Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) established the anniversary to commemorate the occasion.

Postwar Food Shortages and the Return of School Lunches

Japan faced severe food shortages after World War II, leaving many children without adequate nutrition.

• LARA supplies: relief goods like powdered skim milk and canned foods, sent primarily by American civilian organizations under LARA
• Where it restarted: following the ceremony, school lunches resumed on a trial basis in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Chiba prefectures
• Spreading nationwide: school lunches gradually expanded across the rest of the country afterward

Why Is There a Commemorative Week in Late January?

Because December 24th falls during winter break in many regions, the Ministry of Education announced in 1950 the creation of "National School Lunch Week," and starting in 1951, designated the week beginning January 24th — one month after the anniversary — as this national observance. School Lunch Anniversary Day itself remains fixed on December 24th.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Look back on memories of the school lunches you ate as a child
• Learn about the history of school lunches and postwar food relief
• Make an effort to eat a well-balanced meal, in a spirit of gratitude for school lunches
• If you have children or grandchildren, ask them about what school lunches are like today

A History That Began With a Single Cup of Powdered Milk

Amid Japan's harsh postwar food shortages, relief supplies sent from across the ocean became the starting point for the school lunch program that continues to this day. Let December 24th be a day to reflect on the history behind a meal so many of us once took for granted.