National School Lunch Week (Start Date)

What Is National School Lunch Week?

Every year, the week from January 24th to January 30th is "National School Lunch Week" in Japan. It was established to commemorate the resumption of school lunches after the war, when supplies donated by LARA (Licensed Agencies for Relief in Asia) helped restart a program that had been suspended due to food shortages. It's a special week to reflect on the history of school lunches and deepen gratitude for food.

The Origins and History of School Lunches

Japan's school lunch program is said to have begun in 1889 at the privately run Chuai Elementary School in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, where lunches were provided for children who couldn't bring their own. The menu at the time was simple -- rice balls, grilled fish, and pickles -- but it marked the first step toward a program that supports children's healthy growth.

The Postwar Restart and Bread Lunches

School lunches, suspended during the war, resumed on December 24, 1946, in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Chiba. At first, bread made from skim milk powder and wheat flour was the mainstay, which became one of the catalysts for the Westernization of the Japanese diet. Today, the commemorative week is set a month later, starting January 24th, so it doesn't overlap with summer vacation.

The Role School Lunches Play

School lunches aren't just about providing a midday meal -- they're also an important part of "education." Through balanced meals, children build healthy bodies, learn table manners, and develop social skills by eating together with classmates, all at once.

Promoting Food Education

In recent years, menus increasingly incorporate local specialties as part of "local production, local consumption" initiatives, and traditional regional dishes are added to teach children about local culture and industry. Lunches also serve as a living teaching tool by introducing dishes from around the world to broaden international understanding.

The Evolution and Features of School Lunches

• Meiji era: Started with rice balls, salted salmon, and pickles
• 1950s: Skim milk powder and "koppe pan" (a soft roll) became the standard
• 1970s: Rice-based lunches were officially introduced, expanding variety
• Today: Allergy accommodations and specialized guidance from registered dietitian-teachers are now common
• Popular menu items: Fried bread (age-pan), curry rice, and soft noodles remain beloved across generations

The People Behind School Lunches

Behind every safe and delicious school lunch lies the effort of countless people: the registered dietitian-teachers who plan the menus, the cooks who prepare large quantities of food, and the farmers who deliver fresh ingredients. This week is also a time to express gratitude to all of them.

Rigorous Hygiene Management

School lunch kitchens operate under hygiene standards far stricter than those of an ordinary home -- from controlling ingredient temperatures to disinfecting cooking equipment and thorough handwashing. Every day, professionals work behind the scenes to keep children safe.

Tips for Enjoying National School Lunch Week

• Recreate a popular school lunch menu item at home and swap memories about it.
• Look up local specialty dishes or old-fashioned school lunch menus.
• Say "itadakimasu" before meals and "gochisousama" afterward, with genuine gratitude.
• Check where your ingredients come from and think of the people who produced them.

"Eating" Is "Living"

National School Lunch Week is a time to reconsider just how precious -- and how dependent on the support of many people -- the meals we eat every day really are. Feel the joy of being served a warm meal, and nurture a heart that values food. During this week starting January 24th, why not take a moment to reconnect with the true meaning of eating?