Japan’s standpoint is that school lunches are a part of education, not a break from it.
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Masahiro Oji, a government director of school health education. Japanese government officials say no other country has copied Japan’s system of made-from-scratch meals eaten in classrooms, or even tried to. (Washington Post)
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-7
sillygirl
No one wants to copy it because it is not a good idea - please see stories about food allergies.
-4
JeffLee
No way you could have those lunch programs in Western countries: the kids are too multicultural and diverse. Japan's program is based on everyone eating -- and liking -- the exact same things, day after day.
That means pork for Muslims, beef for Hindus, whale for white liberals, etc. And yes, you would have riots as a result.
-5
cleo
Wot about Jamie Oliver's blitz on school dinners? And he offered a choice.
When I was at school we ate lunch in the dining room, the whole school together, with a member of staff or prefect at the head of the table supervising manners - no gobbling yer grub, using yer fork like a shovel, or licking yer knife. It's difficult if not impossible for one teacher to supervise up to 40 kids spread throughout the classroom, which is why many Japanese young people go out into the world unable to use chopsticks or silverware properly, and with atrocious table manners.
0
FPSRussia
@JeffLee I agree with you. Diversity is more important than uniformity. In short, all they have to choose from is rice or noodle. If what they say is true that Lunch is part of education, then that means that Japan is teaching kids, there is only one way, our way. It's a shame that Japanese kids think Mexican food is only tacos.
4
Sensato
Overall this is one aspect of Japanese education that I find impressive.
My children's daycare had a full-time nutritionist on board, and the kids helped in growing vegetables that were later part of the lunch menu. Dido for elementary school. Delicious, nutritious, made with care and pride.
Conversely, when we moved to the US my kids were shocked by the appalling, unhealthy food passed of as school 'lunch,' sub-fast food standards.
Major Drawbacks to the Japanese lunch program 1. The kids have no choices, and are forced to eat what they are served (as JeffLee wrote). My daughter, for instance, threw up at school and was sent home. Turns out she wasn't sick, just a strong aversion to a menu item the teacher made her eat triggered a gag reflex. 2. The program is often used to push blatant Japanese agricultural/fisheries propaganda. Such associatons are firmly entrenched in the education system. For instance, school children are served whale occasionally to 'teach' them about the nation's supposed cultural tradition of eating that mammal. Also, it is used as a platform for agricultural concerns to push their anti-foreign agenda to a highly impressionable audience.
-1
Pukey2
Yes, I was just going to mention whale meat.
I read somewhere that a mother in Fukushima was worried about her kid drinking the milk at school and asked her not to. The teacher berated the kid in front of the class and humiliated her.
No doubt there are some nutritious food, but to spout out the 'unique' crap (again) and think you're better than everyone else is dumb. I'd hate to think of all the food coloring and artificial flavoring in some of the food. What happens to kids with allergies to wheat, nuts, etc?
-2
megosaa
things like these are sorted out. as simple as walking in a restaurant and tell the chef what you cannot eat!
i do think it is a good education, where the children learns how to distribute equally proportion food for everyone, being sociable, importance of variety in nutritious diet. also, they do a 残量調整 and they are really strict on food waste.
-6
bilderberg_2015
I would hate to work in a school here and have to eat the school lunch. For one, Japanese rice sucks, and yet it is served with everything!
0
Meguroman
Saying that no other country out of 200 does it is pretty big boast, no where? Actually, my son`s elementary school here in Meguro has a rather diverse menu in terms of cuisine with Italian, Indian, Chinese, etc. He says it is rarely close to being authentic but it certainly makes for interesting reading on the published menu. We check it so as not to have a similar dinner.
-1
ChibaChick
Because other countries schools have cafeterias where kids eat all together food made from scratch. Yet again a Japanese official plugging Japan as the best there is whilst actually completely clueless to what goes on outside Japan and why.
Food allergies - you have to fill in a form at the beginning of each school year stating what allergies your child has and they accommodate that. I dont think they are quite so accommodating though on diets for religious or belief-system reasons though, but I might be wrong.
4
ebisen
Amazing that none of the bad commenters seem to have experienced this program themselves. They are only busy bad-mouthing it. I was lucky enough to join such lunches a number of times during my student times. Every child had a small responsibility (from cooking, serving other children, washing, etc, etc), and they were supervised by a number of teachers. There were a lot of laughs,and the cooked meals actually tasted very good every time. Yes, there was a lot of diversity, and care was taken towards allergic children - some of them had no eggs or peanuts, but something else instead
-6
bilderberg_2015
School lunches in Japan are basically a way for JA to indoctrinate the population into believing that Japanese food is the best and safest in the world.
0
Carcharodon
the food in most lunch progarms isn't too bad, the biggest issue would be that fact that many menus are very carb heavy. Pasta and bread day anyone? Little more meat and veg in the mix would be nice.
I guess the quote was in relation to this story in the Washington post I saw in passing, the other day
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/world/japanese-school-lunch/index.html
It had comparisons of menus. For Example
United States: (example day)
Japan. (example day)
0
mrkobayashi
Have you tried "yumepirika?"
4
Reckless
i had school lunches at the junior highs and my son ate it at elementary and junior high. it is healthy and filling and I have no complaint. when I was a kid in the us the food was probably less healthy but in the 70s and 80s there seemed to be less of obesity in spite of that. Japan should do as it likes.
4
Ms. Alexander
@ Sensato
Completely agree!
@ Bilderberg
Japanese rice sucks as opposed to what? American rice? Filipino rice? Thai rice? Or rice in general?
-2
bilderberg_2015
Basmati rice, for one. Japanese rice is far too stodgy. I prefer light, non-sticky rice. After eating Japanese rice, I feel like I've swallowed a chunk of lead.
Moderator
Back on topic please.
0
sillygirl
Regarding daycare (hoikuen) lunches, they were prepared and the kids ate soon after. Those elementary and Jhs lunches are prepared off site , delivered and are most certainly not hot. And yes, I did dine at the elementary school both here and my own country. Will take the American cafeteria over Luke warm stuff served here any day.
1
sillygirl
Also regarding allergies -did you read the story in yesterday's daily yomiuri about one school in tokyo not being careful enough about food allergies? I think students should have the option to bring their own lunches and not be forced to pay for this part of school curriculum.
0
illsayit
made from scratch is really stretching the meaning there-the guy must be Australian. Im positive they dont put the yeast in thf lour themeselves. Id say they do cook their vegies; maybe that is what he means? My complaint is that they should get their supplies from all food stores in the local area. While ever they only use the one sources they are essentially supporting one business over another. I disagree with this. I think each business should receive their fair equal share of the usiness that school lunches provide.
0
timtak
It is to encourage familial cooperativeness with research to show that lunches, or liking them, correlates with feelings of cooperativeness. Same with cleaning up afterwards, which the kids (and not only in Japan do too.
2
Fadamor
I had read the same article. They probably should have linked to it in the quote so people could have read the whole article rather than a sound-bite. They would have understood the "lunches are a part of education" phrase, then.
0
Fadamor
Bleh. That link was just to a table, not the article. Here's the article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/on-japans-school-lunch-menu-a-healthy-meal-made-from-scratch/2013/01/26/5f31d208-63a2-11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_story.html
-2
sillygirl
Thanks for the link to the article. I did have to laugh at the "sanitary uniforms" bit. Those are worn by the same kid for a week and then sent home for the parents to wash. They then taken back (sometimes dragged attached to their cumbersome backpacks) the following Monday. I would not necessarily call that sanitary.
-3
BertieWooster
He's quite right.
The educational value of eating a school lunch is about the same as that of a lesson taught by a teacher.
Very little.
1
BertieWooster
cleo
Poor guy, it made me weep to see the kids turning down good, nutritious food for reconstituted garbage.
Did you see the school he went to in the States?
When he suggested more vegetables, the dinner lady gave the kids an extra order of fried potatoes. "Well potatoes are vegetables!" she said.
That brings back memories!
And it was good food, too. Kedgeree, macaroni cheese, meat and two veg, always a good, balanced meal.
We took turns to serve food, clean up dishes and cutlery and wipe the table.
I don't know about it being educational. Although much of the conversation gave the boys the opportunity to show off their knowledge of anatomy and body functions, but this was done in an effort to put the girls off their food and thereby leave more for the boys. "If you're not going to eat that sausage, I'll have it!"
-1
cleo
Wasn't it Ronny Reagan who had tomato ketchup classified as a vegetable?
-2
sillygirl
What's with the thumbs down about the sanitary uniforms?? You probably did not have to wash and iron them.
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