School lunch becomes a joy for Japanese students

According to Nikkei Asia, in a recently released Japanese film, titled "Oishii Kyushoku 3" (Delicious School Lunch – Part 3), the main character is a junior high school math teacher in his 30s who looks forward to school lunch with enthusiasm, like a teenager waiting for his date.

The recently released film "Oishii Kyushoku 3" gives viewers a better understanding of the happiness of children during meals at Japanese schools. Photo: 2024 Oishii Kyushoku Production Committee

The teacher (played by handsome Japanese actor Hayato Ichihara) appears with obvious joy on his face. As lunch begins, the teacher jumps up and sings the school song with the whole class. Then it's time for lunch.

The 1980s were a time of creative kyushoku (school lunches). Japanese versions of the lunch were exotic dishes like spaghetti and chicken tikka. Students wore white aprons and hats and took their food from the kitchen to the table for school lunch. When the meal was over, the dishes and utensils were returned to the kitchen, while the aprons and masks were sent home for parents to wash.

Every noon in Japanese schools, the classroom turns into a "restaurant". The chorus of "Itadakimasu" rings out. It is a polite Japanese way of saying "Please", emphasizing gratitude to the person who took the trouble to prepare the meal.

“Kyushoku” was introduced to the public school system in Japan in 1947. The children who grew up on those lunches are now in their 70s and 80s. They say that during the 1950s, whole milk was a luxury—but by the 1960s, milk was served in school lunches across the country.

Nowadays, there are water and tea alternatives for those who are lactose intolerant, along with vegetarian options for foreign students. But for most Japanese, the “kyushoku” tray remains the same: a bottle of milk, bread, vegetables and an appetizer.

Elementary school students in Japan at lunchtime circa 1955.Photo: Getty Images

Lunch guaranteed to be nutritious

Taste has never really been an issue. Menus are always creative to provide the calories, protein and nutrients needed to sustain growing bodies. The average cost of a lunch at a Tokyo elementary school is 255 yen ($1.58), a relatively stable price in a decade of inflation.

Along with milk, affordable, protein-rich foods have fed generations of Japanese schoolchildren. At the height of its popularity in the "Oishii Kyushoku" series, whale meat was often served as a substitute for staples like pork, chicken, and eggs in school lunches. However, the dish disappeared from school menus after much controversy around 2010. However, it has been back on the menu for the past five years, albeit with less frequency.

School meals in Japan are not just meant to provide adequate nutrition, they are considered an integral part of education. Since 2005, the government has required schools to teach children about the origins and ingredients of their food. Students are also taught to finish their food.

Kids today favor dishes like sauteed vegetables and fried chicken. Croissants are often swapped for white bread. And small desserts include fruit, Jell-O, or yogurt with jam. Food trends change with national and global developments.

Back in the 20th century, school lunch trays were becoming less “guest-friendly.” Students might not like room-temperature milk or fried whale. But no one complained. Refusing to eat meant going hungry. Worse, teachers could send a letter home, in which case the child’s parents would be called to the principal’s office.

Are there any alternatives to school lunches? In private schools, students are required to bring their own bento lunch boxes.

Even in public schools, bento boxes are still required when children reach high school. Even so, most Japanese families consider standard school lunches to be fine. More importantly, this reduces the burden on mothers, nearly 80% of whom now work outside the home. School lunches have become a special treat for Japanese families.

Over the past seven decades, "Kyushoku" has been credited with contributing to the impressive longevity of Japanese people, helping the obesity rate in children and adults to be among the lowest among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)./.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/bua-trua-truong-tro-thanh-niem-vui-thich-cua-hoc-sinh-nhat-ban-20240718101804393.htm