This meal has barley rice, cabbage miso soup and milk. And the main dish is...
Just one piece of karaage or Japanese fried chicken.

This was actually served for lunch at an elementary school in Fukuoka in April.

We asked people who grew up eating school lunches.

Man in his 50s:
"Just one side dish is kind of sad. Presentation matters too, I guess."

Teenager:
"The portion is too small. (Q: Will it make you full?) Not at all. It looks unappealing."

This child will start elementary school next spring.

Mother:
"What do you think of this lunch? Does it seem a bit small?"

Child:
"Yeah."

Mother:
"Preschool lunches are much better, right?"

Child:
"Yeah."

Mother:
"They serve more food at preschool”

While the miso soup includes vegetables and the overall nutritional balance is not lacking, many people said the single piece of fried chicken seemed a bit meager.”

We asked a city official why only one piece of chicken was served.

Fukuoka City Board of Education official:
"To reduce the workload in the kitchen, we serve one large piece — about 60 grams — which is roughly the size of two regular pieces. Making it larger also helps ensure it cooks up more tender."

He emphasized that one large piece is equivalent to two, but also acknowledged the need for improvements.

Fukuoka City Board of Education official:
"We want to make school lunches more visually appealing and appetizing for the children. By incorporating ideas and feedback from the private sector, we hope to create meals that children genuinely find delicious."

Meanwhile, schools in Aomori Prefecture are being affected by rising rice prices.

Elementary student:
"I’ve seen on the news that rice prices are going up, so I was worried. But I think it's amazing that we’re still getting rice with our lunches."

In Hachinohe City, the cost of rice per meal rose by 15 yen in elementary schools and 20 yen in junior high schools over the past year. This increase has squeezed the budget for side dishes, and the number of days dessert is served has been cut from 4–5 times a month to just 2–3.

Student:
"I love dessert. I don’t want it to go away."

As school lunches play a vital role in nourishing growing children, schools are struggling to cope with rising costs.