Children

When Children's Tables Break Down — The Triple Crisis of Free School Lunches, Solitary Eating, and Kodomo Shokudo

Japan's school lunches cost just ¥270 per meal, and face quality erosion amid inflation and the 2026 free lunch policy. 34% of children in single-parent households eat only twice a day during summer. Kodomo shokudo (children's cafeterias) have surged to 12,601 locations, but systems built on goodwill alone cannot last. A structural analysis of children's food security across institutional, civil, and household layers.