How School Lunches are Made in Japan

This is how Japanese school food lunches are made in Japan called Kyushoku（給食) it’s served in all Japanese elementary and most junior high schools, it’s known for its balanced and varied menu all planned by certified nutritionist. Today, I’ve got special access to visit the Musashino City School Lunch & Dietary Education Promotion Foundation servicing 18 schools in total with 181 hard working staff, I’m going inside to one of their massive Japanese Japanese school food kitchens, so large in scale I want to call it a food factory to better capture its size. It’s so massive that it produces food for 8 different schools each and every day. Mornings start at 7:30 AM, as the food must be prepared, cooked and then shipped out all before lunch time, ready to eat for a total of 2700 students. And this entire food education system is supported by the Japanese government, meaning that on average, the monthly school lunch fee paid by parents at public schools is about 4,300 yen at elementary schools and 4,900 yen at junior high schools, about 33-38 USD dollars a month.

Musashino City School Lunch & Dietary Education Promotion Foundation
一般財団法人武蔵野市給食・食育振興財団

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I'm from TOKYO JAPAN, I've been living here for a long time. I'll be your Tokyo Travel Guide, taking you to the spots I love as well as showing you what to do all around Japan and maybe sometimes overseas. I'm also into Tech so you'll see a few videos about my drone and other cool toys I discover. In short, the channel is all about what I Love, Japan, Food, Travel, Tech and most likely coming FROM-TOKYO, my home.

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[KansaiKaiser]

I teach at public schools in Japan. The effort that goes into these meals is insane, and the fact students serve and clean up the food really adds to the experience. I remember my food in the US as a student barely being edible. Other places could definitely learn a thing or two from Japan. This is the ultimate long term investment, better fed kids are happier and smarter.

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Wow, the food looks genuinely appetizing compared to the school lunch I grew up on

[patriciarutkowski]

I'm food safety certified in the states, and I have to say, this facility's food safety protocols surpass the US standard by far. It's incredible the procedures they have in place to prevent cross-contamination, especially the airlock they create when receiving. I'm sure they also have a strict wellness check for employees. They understand that children don't have as strong immune systems as adults and take steps to minimize risk. It's fascinating.

[ayumis]

I grew up on Japanese public school lunch. This is a central kitchen for several schools in this video, but my school had our own kitchen and the nutritionist who develops the menu in the school. The food was amazingly wholesome and clean everyday and I was so looking forward to it. I still remember the great smell of food we feel when it’s closer to the lunch time. I was surprised to learn that what I thought was normal might be in fact not so quite common from western point of view

[nmlolpt]

I'm Japanese, but the most fun part of school was school lunch lol. They make it with good nutrition and balance. It also offers different meals all year round. So I never get tired of it. Adults say "I miss school lunch" lol

[Jordan-inJapan]

I live in a rural area of Japan, and the way lunches are made here is a bit more…relaxed. Still, the basic principles still apply, and the end result is still great. (ALMOST always. I assume there is a little more variation in quality here than in the Tokyo area.)

One interesting bit of tradition… at least in this area, The school principal always eats lunch first. But not for the reason you might think. This practice is know as ‘DOKU-MI’, or “poison check“. As the one responsible for the safety of all of the students and staff in the school, the Principal must ensure that the food is safe for everyone else to eat.

[bluesky]

I teach at a Japanese school and even teachers get to have school lunch! They’re super tasty, and this video has made me appreciate them even more! 😁

[katiestegman]

My biggest takeaway from this video is that the Japanese truly care about and prioritize their kids' health and well-being as well as their food education. American lunches have improved since I was a kid, but this absolutely blows our school lunches out of the water. So impressive. This is a perfect example of how things should be done.

[meeks]

They never half ass/cut corners with anything and truly value their youth. I’ve worked in restaurants in NYC my whole life and this kitchen is cleaner than Michelin star restaurants 🤯 The workers all take pride in their work, loved this video

[Patterrz]

Yeah this looks a whole lot more wholesome than the depression we get in UK schools

[rqtquhk]

I am Japanese. And as a Japanese, I am very happy that this school lunch is highly appreciated. Thank you for getting to know Japan!

[PaperCranesAndHaiku]

I used to teach part-time in a Japanese elementary school and lunch is something I would really look forward to. The cost was roughly $2 and it’s hot and complete with veggies and protein. Before serving lunch to the kids, they would explain (older kids (5th&6th graders through PA system) where the veggies came from and some trivia about the food (something interesting from the prefecture it came from). Sometimes, local farmers would visit and ask the students what they think of the fruit/vegetables and explain why it’s juicy or sweet… so the kids learn to appreciate fresh and good quality produce. Nothing goes to waste too, because the kids would do janken (rock paper scissors) and whoever wins will get the extra fruit dessert/yogurt/bottled milk. I only went there twice a week, and my former colleagues who work there full-time would sometimes bring their own lunch because there will be times the menu will repeat ☺️

[karen]

as an aussie, i can't believe this incredible dedication to childrens health. i wish we had this system!

[Xavierpng]

Sure beats any school lunches I've seen in the US! Such wonderful healthy and wholesome food! Good going, Japan!

[isaiah]

Wow. The idea he explained of giving kids healthy food so they’ll grow up to subconsciously always eat healthy and well prepared food is a crazy thought given what I ate in American schools. I know it’s not on any fault of the staff but the governments outlook on education. This food looks incredible.

[osumanaaa]

I had the chance to visit a primary school when I was in Japan and we had lunch with the students. I was pretty amazed by how organized the whole thing was and by how mature students were. Basically students are responsible for serving food to their classmates and after everyone eats, each is responsible for washing their tray and cleaning.

[purpleryoko]

When I taught in Japan, school lunch was probably my most nutritious meal each day. I looked forward to it. I got to visit the center and was surprised how they made exact portions for each class in each school on time each day.

[DrZdRf]

It looks like Japan really cares for the young generation and want to feed them food that will not only benefit them with nutrition but also prolong their lives. They even have natural deworming foods in there. As someone who grew up in the US eating frozen pizza and hot dogs that had maggots, makes me wish we had a food education here too.

[serg]

Remember, for many kids, the school lunch is the only time in the day where a kid can have a full balanced meal. Japan and the US knows this but only one is doing something about it

[merlion]

I went to a Japanese primary school for a few years that had its own kitchen. We had dinner ladies (for those from outside UK, this is what we call them) who cooked every lunch from scratch. Students all thanked them every day for lovely food. Never realised how fortunate we were at the time.