ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how compulsory school lunches, a long established practice, gained new significance through the Basic Shokuiku Act 2006 in Japan. A new term, shokuiku (education about eating), has gained a place in public discussion. The legislation aimed to promote a diverse agenda, fighting the increasing rate of lifestyle-related diseases, childhood obesity, and addressing the decline in food self-sufficiency. Stakeholders in health and welfare wanted to promote healthy eating and general health, while those in primary industries wished to increase the consumption of local produce and promote food safety. Both resorted to the highly essentialized “culture of eating in Japan” in order to promote their agenda. Schools and teachers wanted to eliminate disadvantaged children coming to school without having breakfast, and instil habits that would maximize academic learning. While healthy eating is seen as an individual and family choice, schools strive to take collective responsibility for children’s eating while they are at school.
