Japan’s Political Parties Agree on Free School Lunches

Japan’s political parties appear to agree: Kids shouldn’t go hungry. Inside Japan’s rapidly advanced plans to make public school lunches free.

By Jay Allen

It’s becoming harder and harder to live in Japan thanks to stagnant wages and rising prices. It’s one reason (among many) that people are opting out of having children. But it appears Japan’s major political parties are coalescing around one policy that might help: free lunch for public schoolchildren.

LDP, CDP, Nippon Ishin agree: feed the children

Picture: サンカメ / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

The move towards offering greater aid to parents has sped up at the local level this year. Tokyo recently announced that it would offer free medical care for all kids up to high school age. Several wards and cities in Tokyo have also said they’d offer free school lunches to elementary and middle school students. Tokyo’s governor, Koike Yuriko, has also discussed providing direct financial help to parents.