My middle school life was much like any other student's. I went to class, spent time with friends, occasionally did my work, and kept myself busy for three years. And, although I didn't note the importance of it at the time, I ate lunch in the cafeteria every single day. Sometimes, I'd bring my own lunch, but usually I ate something prepared by the school. That was normal for me, and when I left middle school after three years of eating the school lunch, I thought I'd never set foot in a middle school cafeteria--for the purpose of eating, anyway--again.
Fast forward to today.
As a member of the JET Program and an Assistant Language Teacher, I spend quite a bit of time at school. Three days a week, I'm at my village's elementary school, and two days a week, I'm at the junior high school. While it is unusual for Japanese schools to have a cafeteria (most students eat lunch in their classrooms, since students don't move from class-to-class), my schools are both small enough to break that rule. Even more indicative of our small-school status is the fact that all of the teachers eat lunch with the students. Every single day.
I love it. Japanese school lunch is nothing like American school lunch, for many reasons. One, it's significantly cheaper to eat school lunch here than it is back home. My lunches here run around two or three dollars each day, and they're huge lunches. Unlike my schools at home, where I had many options to choose from in the lunch line, everyone eats the same lunch here. Most days, the lunch has three dishes and milk. Today, for example, we had yakisoba (try it, trust me), some veggies, and bread. Some days, we have miso soup and rice with fish or some other hot dish. I've had ramen. I've had chicken. I've had natto (maybe don't try that one).
Because everyone gets the same lunch, everyone gets the same portion sizes. There is some variation in the elementary school, since the younger students have smaller stomachs, but generally we all have the same amount of food. Nobody benefits from being the lunch lady's favorite in Japan! The students take turns every day doling out the food, and they are very careful about giving equal portions.
I'm not going to lie, I like food. It's just how I am, and I think quite a few other people can agree that food is a wonderful, wonderful thing. I love kyuushoku for two main reasons: One, the food is usually really tasty; and two, I don't have to make it. It's like being back at my college dining hall, but the food is prepared perfectly every day and it's pretty healthy. I've met the awesome people that decide what goes into kyuushoku at my school, and they take their jobs very seriously. I am definitely glad that they do!
The only downside to kyuushoku is that sometimes, you get food you don't want to eat. Like shishamo, which are whole, tiny, pregnant (yes, you read that right) fish. Imagine going to lunch to have your food staring back at you! I mentioned natto before, and honestly, it's an acquired taste. For those interested in acquiring it, natto is fermented soy beans. You can add soy sauce and mustard to it, which helps with the taste a lot. There's a subtle expectation that the teachers will eat all of their food as an example for the students, so I've been introduced to many new, interesting Japanese foods!
With all of its ups and downs, kyuushoku is still a blessing to students and teachers alike. Everyone eats the same thing, it's healthy, and it's cheap. For some students, kyuushoku is the only hot, prepared meal they might have for the day, so it's super-important that everyone can enjoy it. Plus, lunch in general is a great time to chat with the students and for them to kick back and relax for thirty minutes. Personally, I will continue to enjoy the kyuushoku life for as long as I am here.
