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Japanese teenagers lunches 2007/10/11 05:19
Hi everyone,
I noticed that in all the japanese tv series I've watched,the teenagers' lunches are usually small and very neat.I was wondering what kind of food they actually get?like,what would be a common,everyday thing?thanks for any answers:)
by interested  

Junior High 2007/10/11 10:58
For Junior High, the school lunches are the same for every school in the same city (maybe even the same prefecture). Everyday has the same two items: 3.4% fat milk and steamed rice. Somedays when we have bread, rice is not included. Popular dishes like curry, and fried squid are very common. We had natto for the first time since I've been in Ishioka two weeks ago. I've been here for about 7 months. Chinese dishes are also common like mabo tofu and gyoza (meat dumplings). American dishes like hot dogs are sometimes eaten.
by Joe rate this post as useful

JH Lunch 2007/10/11 11:01
The monthly fee for school lunch is 4400 yen, about 1100 a week. I sometimes overhear phone conversations between parents and teachers and paying lunch money. It's happens quite frequently. I hear things like "your son needs energy to be healthy and productive."
by Joe rate this post as useful

Box Lunches 2007/10/11 11:34
What you saw on TV is probably prepared, boxed lunches that are brought to school by the students. On occausion, like a half-day or other event where school hours are changed, lunches are brought to school. However, this is usually rare, like 3-4 times a year. The teachers have bento, lunch boxes, that are ordered ahead of time from a local restaurant. They usually cost about 1300 yen each (about $11) and offer a variety of good, quality food.
by Joe rate this post as useful

... 2007/10/11 11:51
The program you watched probably depicted high school. Most high schools don't have cafeterias or kyushoku (the lunch service that joe describes) so the majority of students bring their own lunch everyday. The small neat lunches are bento (boxed lunch) are are usually prepared by the students' mothers.

They typically consist of rice, and a variety of small things like karaage, vegetables, koroke, meat/fish balls, sausage, etc.
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

... 2007/10/11 12:13
Not all junior highs have school lunches served. In Kanagawa for example, students are free to bring lunch boxes made by their mom, or they can buy one at a market on their way to school, or at some schools lunch box tickets are sold in the morning, and they have about three different menus to choose from.

As opposed to American elementary schools where students generally stick to sandwiches, students in Japan bring all kinds of food to school. Sweets are generally forbidden and hardly anyone brings soup, but some bring rice, some bring pasta, some bring bread, and they'd always have meat and vegetables that goes along with it, sometimes with fruit for dessert. Btw, although the lunch boxes may seem small, quite a lot can be packed in it.

On a related note, a lot of senior high school students, secretly eat their boxed lunches during the morning recesses, eat at the school cafeteria at lunch time, and then go out for a burger or something after school.
by Uco, mom of a teenager rate this post as useful

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