Japan’s school lunch system is often regarded as one of the best in the world. How do they do it!? What are the nutrition standards? Is it free? We’ll answer all these questions and more on a little deep dive into the national school lunch program, and compare it a bit to our home country of the US.

From the looks of it, the American school lunch program is a lawless land, but what kind of standards do they actually have? And we’ll chat briefly about other countries besides Japan that have excellent school lunch systems.

Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected]

Frankie - @franklinthewoman

Cheyenne - @lostwithlow

Words mentioned/useful words

給食 kyushoku - school lunch

References/sources:

What is the school lunch law in Japan?

https://www.spainexchange.com/faq/what-is-the-school-lunch-law-in-japan

Lunch in Japanese Schools

https://education.jnto.go.jp/en/school-in-japan/school-life-in-japan/lunch-in-japanese-schools/ 

School Lunches Using Local Specialty Ingredients Hit Hard by High Prices; Increased Costs Make Serving Special Dishes Difficult

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20250706-268084/

Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions in Japan

https://blog.gaijinpot.com/food-allergies-and-dietary-restrictions-in-japan/

School Lunch Programs: A 2025 Update on Past and Present

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/school-lunch-programs-a-2025-update-on-past-and-present

Free School Lunches Provided in 30% of Japanese Municipalities

https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02220/#:~:text=As%20of%20September%201%2C%202023%2C%20547%20municipalities,elementary%20and%20junior%20high%20schools%20are%20eligible

The Best School Lunches Around the World

https://ghspomegranate.com/5395/features/the-best-school-lunches-around-the-world/#:~:text=Japan:%20The%20Japanese%20school%20lunch,lacks%2C%20is%20free%20school%20lunch

UPDATE about the free lunches: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/18/japan/ruling-bloc-komeito-school-meal/#:~:text=Ruling%20bloc%20and%20Komeito%20agree,continue%20talks%20on%20the%20matter.

Fun videos to watch: 

Life where I’m from: https://youtu.be/fze5s1SlqB8?si=7A3DwkpbZlw_sR01

Paolo from Tokyo: https://youtu.be/j9xYsUPoQVs?si=nP5a491o161zdMpa

Japanese food craftsmen: https://youtu.be/dnBA3QD8xFs?si=LkqlyfMACIyBh2aW

School lunch around the world: https://youtu.be/pD9mk0Y_pyo?si=C16PB7QPbJ9BWM5u

CafCu media: https://youtu.be/hL5mKE4e4uU?si=M3Ng6KpuHE8zRoaV

Time stamps

00:00 happy new year/chat

04:17 school lunches

07:21 laws, regulations, nutrition standards

11:55 allergies and restrictions

17:38 how much do teachers pay for school lunch?

18:17 how kids get involved with lunch

28:33 how does the US compare?

39:51 other countries with great lunch programs