Japanese school lunches

[FoodieSam]

I've just found out about Japanese school lunches, and I wanted to share.
Basically, every student at school has a school lunch, it's not optional. They eat in their classroom and serve each other, instead of having a cafeteria and dinner ladies. They even get a menu with the ingredients on it. The meals are all nutritionally-balanced and they look delicious. I'll put some photos down below.
I saw a video of it, and they even do this at elementary school. It looks so organised and friendly. I wonder if they always get on in the groups that they have to sit in? Or what they do with food they don't like. As usual I have loads of questions!
Oh yeah, and can anyone tell me what some of the food is? I mean, I can recognise an egg, and noodles and rice, but is that milk in the carton? What is the packet of stuff in the middle photo?

[Mashiiro]

I wish my lunches were that balanced! And yes, Japanese are really an amazing sample as a human being. I think like Koreans they made sure their food is well balanced with vegetables, milk, protein and carbs. Another reason for their longetivity of life I guess?

[Nobita]

Wow, it reminds me my school hood. Japanese school food which we called Kyu-syoku is quite well balanced and tasty.
I was really looking forward to lunch time when I was kid.
Especially, Curry rice and stew taste was incredible.
FoodieSam Yes, milk is in the carton, and packet of middle of picture is dry fish and nuts which is crunchy and tasty.

Yes, Kyu-syoku(school provide the lunch)is common in Japan, and every few weeks, you have to be in charge of lunch server, normaly 5-6 children become together,
one of them serve rice, another one serve miso soups, like that, then class room children queing to get lunch.
It`s good oppoortunities learn something cooperate, to share everyone etc.

[FoodieSam]

Thanks for the info, Nobita! It sounds like they even think about the different textures in the school lunch as well. That's way more dedication than it seems we get over here. That photo is great as well; it's exactly like the video I saw. I forgot how grown-up the children look in their face masks and hats. They look really serious about it. I guess they all want to get sat down and eat, ha ha. I looked forward to lunchtime at school anyway, but I'd probably be even more excited if I got to eat that. It looks like a good portion of food. I guess if school lunch is compulsory, it should also be fairly cheap. Is that right?
I just had a thought as well: what happens if there's leftovers?

[Tara4Eva]

Wow! That is so good, unlike the cafeteria food in some schools in America which looks like prison food. lol

[Louie]

I've also watched a few videos about Kyu-shoku and it's really an interesting concept. For example, I often wondered why students in Japan (elementary - junior high) are given the tasks of serving the food to their classmates during lunch time. I think this system serves as a lesson for students to help them understand what a "balanced diet" is like. It also gives them the so called "early work experience". The act of preparing the food, serving, cleaning and eating teaches them at an early age that even though they are young, they are able to handle responsibilities of their own. Today, some Kyushoku meals incorporate not only food in Japan, but foods from other countries as well.

[minervasirius]

that's a far cry compared to michelle obama's so called "healthy" school food which many call "prison" food. hahaha

[Naniii]

Now that's something. I watched some Japanese movies before where there are cafeterias in their schools so I always thought that's where they eat. I didn't know they have this kind of practice. It would really be nice if every student would always have an organized meal like this. I also used google translate and that box does seem to be milk. And when I searched about it in other blogs they always include milk in their meals. Me, I always just have rice and one meat and that's. I never think of preparing other types of food for my lunch meals.

[Yuriyuri]

Kyushoku in Japan is really amazing. It is only provided from elementary school to junior high school but it is an efficient system for both parents and kids.
I don't remember exactly how much the monthly payment was for my kyushoku back then but I remember it was pretty cheap. According to google it is now $30 to $40 in average per month. This is good because parents don't need to worry about giving money to kids for lunch nor they have to make bento (lunch boxes) for them. And no matter if the kid is poor or rich they get to eat a pretty decent amount of food which nutritionists prepare exclusively for students.
I remember lunch always made me and my friends excited. Actually most kids did no have many food they disliked, my class mates were rather always fighting for more food (you have to win on rock scissors paper game to have more food if there is a lot of people wanting the dish). And if there was some food you disliked, you could always give it to your classmates. And for kyushoku, we had to always return the pots empty to the kyushoku center in other words no waste of food was accepted. My school was creative about getting kids not to waste any food. There was always contests and competitions of zero waste food and 10, 13 even 15 year old boys specially got enthusiastic about it.
I think children learn to be grateful for having food through distributing the dishes themselves and sitting with all classmates together (about 30-40 students) just to say itadakimasu (which is a greeting saying thank you for the food). These values are important and pretty amazing to practice everyday.
Looking back me and my friends have only good memories about kyushoku and I think kyushoku is one of Japan's culture that a lot of countries could use as a model.