Japanese School Lunches (Kyushoku) | Q+A v6

This is a Q+A based off of the mini-documentary about Kyushoku (Japanese School Lunch) that I made • Kyushoku: The Making o... . Probably best to watch that first if you haven't already.
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[@somerandomedgyguy1723]

I must say that I really like the effort and care the japanese put into the school food and especially that everyone, even teachers and staff, get the same meal

[@patriciahawkins7337]

I'd like to know how students with developmental disabilities are accomodated in the Japanese school.

[@hayaowennaga]

I don't know about other schools but in my primary and secondary schools we had 1~2 students with developmental disabilities in each class and take classes with everyone, and every week students of 3~5, in turn, take responsibility of taking care of them. Sometimes they screams and become hyperactive during classes and exams but we eventually got used to taking care of them.

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

By the way, do you all care if I'm not putting in screen shots of the questions nor putting in time codes? Would probably take me 30-60 minutes, depending on the amount of questions in the Q+A. I think some would find it useful, but...

[@Kickbasser]

I usually watch the whole videos anyway, so for me not an issue. Cheers from Greece :) and thanks for the previous reply. It is so fascinating how easy is the communication across the globe due to spread of technology, a lot of time we take it for granted.

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

Oh, as in a comment I could do something like: Question 1: 0:58 Question 2: 3:38 Question 3: 5:01 Those are just examples and won't go anywhere exciting, but I could write out all the questions and have time codes so someone could easily jump to a topic they wanted to know about. For the school years, I just didn't realize people wouldn't understand grades 1-12. Sorry. Generally grade 1 is 5-6 years old and grade 12 is 17-18 years old. So for every grade level you advance you're a year older.

[@rockshot100]

For me personally I don't think it is necessary, it is not like these last for hours. They are short enough and it is all interesting. Cool shirt BTW, I want one!

[@ChronicallyCassidy]

Fine how as is

[@cathhl2440]

I will appreciate it. But so much work!

[@dsample]

It's interesting to watch the school lunches video now that my daughter has just started school (UK) and because of the pandemic they're wearing lunch on their classrooms. I've sent a link to the headteacher in case they can get some ideas, as they're apparently finding it difficult.

[@angelofthepie]

Thank you for answering my question, Greg! Keep up the amazing work!

[@justinjeffries9248]

You deserve more subscribers! Your videos are super informative!

[@bluefireelement]

Thanks for the thorough Q&A!

[@binnoraina633]

I'm always exited for your videos

[@lifewithleon4572]

I'm really enjoying watching your videos. I find Japan fascinating 😊

[@dededengo32]

Japanese schools in some area where immigrants from indonesia are increasing are planning to provide halal school lunch. they already have the makeshift prayer room in schools.

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

Oh, interesting. Which city is this?

[@dededengo32]

elementary schools in Higashi-Hiroshima city because of the increasing number of married international students with kids from Indonesia at Hiroshima university.

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Thanks for the reply

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Do you have any connection to this? Might be interesting to explore for my documentary "Being Japanese" kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6WTpaeZdp2mars

[@Pandalinax3]

Most elementary and middle schools in italy have lunch in school. And it’s pretty good in my opinion. (Italian food in general is pretty good so yeah) but i’m surprised people think it’s not doable elsewhere. Italy is NOT a collective society whatsoever. We definitely have an “eating together” culture tho.

[@rebeccahurley2108]

I'm an Elementary School Cafeteria Manager in America and love your videos on this subject...We can learnna lot from the Japanese system.

[@chimpaflimp]

The issue with what Jamie Oliver was trying to do is that he campaigned with no regard for cost, logistics, cooking ability of school dinner ladies or the facilities available to different schools; the result of his do-gooding crusade was that when I was in primary school (I'm a 20 year old university student today, for reference), we went from turkey twizzlers, chips and beans - which was unhealthy but cooked according to the instructions and good-tasting - to beef or chicken that was cooked til it was like boot leather, red cabbage that was boiled til it turned grey and peas that were either halfway to being raw or verging on mush. Japan's system works because things like potato smilies and other items you just stick in an oven for 20 minutes never really took off due to ovens not being a common thing in most Japanese kitchens; they stuck to the old style of cooking with few changes, unlike the UK where ease, speed and convenience quickly became valued over health and nutrition. It also works because Japanese people suffer from more immediate and severe health issues caused by being overweight than ethnically European people, as shown by the strict and rigorous health examination systems in place there, which also results in the average diet being healthier, along with healthy diets being much more strongly encouraged. Parents in the UK are also generally much too self-centred to ever pay for such a system, caring only about the needs of _their_ child with no regard for the needs of other children, thinking things like 'but what if *_my baby_* wants crisps and cakes and pop with his lunch and doesn't want whatever the school serves? You can't make him have it if he would rather have that'. This has, however, been helpfully counteracted in recent years by offering free school dinners to all primary school students (the equivalent of nursery to 5th Grade in Japan), making most parents opt for this due to it not costing them anything, but there is nothing forcing parents to use this, meaning there're still children with packed lunches full of sweets and fizzy drinks, prompting tantrums from children on school dinners who want colourful, nutritionally devoid food instead. In order for a system like Japan's to work, the way the average Brit thinks on a base level would need to change, which isn't liable to happen due to not only social and economic reasons, but also because there're a lot of people from other ethnicities (after native Brits, Poles and Indians are the most common groups living in the UK) who would want their children to eat the food of their homeland, as you covered in the video. TL;DR - It'd be nice if we could implement this system here, but it just isn't possible to do so right now.

[@mattdeeeezy]

I was an ALT in Hiroshima last year; the BOE I was assigned to, most elementary schools required uniforms. The really small schools (like, 7 students total) didn't require them. I was actually shocked when I moved to Chiba for this school year and none of my students wear uniforms!

[@darxhart1646]

I love how informative your videos are. Japan certainly seems like they do lunch better than most American schools.

[@Kickbasser]

Great Q&A! I recently found your main channel and learned a lot about life in Japan, already watched more than 50 videos :D A lot of my stereotypes where crashed, I saw a lot of pros and cons :D It would be great if in the future you would make a video about music education in Japanese schools, I read that all kids learn to play at least 2 instruments and also sing, also have access to different musical instruments at early age. I really love j-rock and j-pop and based on what I have seen on the YT, the level of musicians are very high. The musical skills and overall quality of sound and gear/tech knowledge is very high compared to where I am from.

[@rockshot100]

Greg has a natural talent to take the most mundane topic and make it interesting. His technical proficiency of film making is not paralleled by any other Ytube channel. Both adults and the kids love him. I wanted to ask Greg if he was able to get any faster at making his films, I know he said he was trying speed up the process. Greg has it gotten any easier?

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

Thanks. Yeah, that sounds very true, that kids learn to sing and could play 2 musical instruments by the time they get out of elementary school. Exactly the experience my kids have had. There's even a marching band in the elementary school.

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

I wanted to try and speed up and release more, but I don't think that's happening. I'm just going deeper, taking more time. I'm trying to put out some simpler videos over the next couple months, but I'm not going to try and rush to put out just anything like I did at some points in the past.

[@chngsk]

You actually nailed my name 😬

[@Jobe-13]

Cool!

[@sophrow782]

When I went to elementary school one day of the week consisted of macaroni with nacho cheese, a milk, and an under ripe woody apple. I do hear that it's a bit better though from what my younger brother sister get now.

[@pinnokino]

Aw the cat ❤️🐱 ねこ literally the only thing I can write in Japanese

[@Zoe-zj6jq]

I really would like your opinion advice on this matter I am planning to move to Japan with two teens and one 6/7 year old and plan on putting them on regular Japanese school region is Kansai most probably Kyoto is wise, btw the two teens are having Japanese language lessons and one is quite advanced, please your advice if possible

[@JayeEllis]

Greg, I've really been enjoying your stuff! It's hard to believe we went to school together lol I wonder if, perhaps, the Canadian (and others) school system could adopt Kyushoku in a more buffet or menu style? Perhaps students must pick options from each food group or category to balance their meals, but options cover multiple food needs? Just a thought. - Single (yes, 'that girl')

[@rockshot100]

Greg, I heard that Japan banned GMOs. I think about 2 years ago, the US tried to pull a fast one and sell GMO wheat to Japan and Japan examined it and sent it all back. The US is run by corporations at this point so whatever Monsanto wants to do is law. It is awesome that the Japanese government protects its people and have so much respect for even the children. Japan deems GMO at least dangerous or questionable so Japan always errors on the side of safety for its citizens. What a country!

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

I think that not all GMO is the same. If done well and with good intentions, it's just like speeding up the natural process of breeding. I know that some crops don't fall into this category.

[@rockshot100]

Yeah good point. There is hybridized then there is "round-up ready". There is messing with the genetic code in the lab at the molecular level to make plants emit their own pesticides, be immune to round-up, etc., that is flat out dangerous to me. Then there is naturalized selection which is roughly speeding up natural evolution somewhat. Thanks for pointing that out Greg. Actually I think the Aztecs hybridized the corn plant from being just a grass to a plant that has very large ears of corn that were worth cultivating.

[@BanBanChi]

The cultivation of GMO foods is banned in Japan but GMO goods can be imported. I would say the majority of the supermarket food here in Japan has some sort of GMO ingredients.

[@janvondru6567]

In Czech republic, there is wide spread school lunch system, goverment subsidises the cost quiet a lot and food must meet certain nutrition criteria. Alergies and beliefs can be acomodated and when kids are older, they can have own food, or eat at home or whatever...

[@abdulrokib786]

Hi, I’ve been on your channel for about 2 years I just wanted to see some recipes as well (I know I know! It’s not a good channel) but I’d like to know an everyday Japanese meal and what is consisted of it (like Japanese curry, miso shiru the whole lot) please

[@sirjonaz]

Jamie Oliver had a show (Food Revolution about 7 years ago) that attempted to bring healthy/tasty food to the US public schools. I sadly realized about 3 episodes in, that it was going to be a futile attempt. There is a lot of bureaucracy that already establishes what nutrition a child should receive. There is no nutritionist on staff to calibrate meals, because most school budgets are often contentious and decided at the state level - thus not the same across the US. The cooks often only cooked pizza, because for one - it satisfied the carb/protein dietary requirement that was established, and secondly it was the only thing that they could get kids to eat - without a lot of waste.

[@midori8703]

The jelly they get looks like any jelly you'd buy at the asian store. I especially love the lychee ones since I grew up with that.

[@SayeeswarAnirutho]

給食のドクメントリーが面白いでした!!そんなコンテントを見たい!!!!

[@siyuanyang1483]

love your cat 🙀

[@maggyfoster8699]

I would like to move to japan after getting done with college Do you have any tips for me on getting my own place

[@LifeWhereImFromX]

Sorry, not any yet. Doing some research on renting places in Japan right now though.

[@zam023]

Are you planning to get a job or just long-term visit?

[@MarcusExum97]

Great question. Please do a video on how foreigners would best go about getting their own place and integrating themselves in reality. That would be so informative and interesting. Thank you!

[@maggyfoster8699]

zam023 I’m planning on getting a job and living there

[@michaelstocker9730]

Have you not been the one who have made an video about an restaurant inTokyo where you could eat some Kyushoku style food in an "classroom". That was cool too. I think, it is only natural that the quallity of the food is somewhat different at every school. It has to do with the staff who prepares it and what you know from home and like.

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

I believe that was John from only in Japan.

[@quinnw6795]

I wish the Canadian government would implement this program national to all schools

[@anyib.3150]

Just a correction usa is 1-5 Elementary School 6-8 Mid School and 9-12 HS

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Oh thanks. Actually, I think the are some school systems in Canada that are like that as well. Although in the BC one we were in, it was only elementary and high school, so k-7 and 8-12.

[@yessi7961]

The grades for each level can vary depending on the school district. It is NOT the same across the entire country! The school district I went to had preK-6th grade = elementary school, 7-9th = junior high, 10-12th = high school.

[@zam023]

Most commonwealth countries follow this system.

[@TuNguyen1995]

KITTY!!!

[@liltunwin]

I wonder if there's flexibility for kids having high metabolism. Where I went to school as a kid school usually only last 7-11:45 or 1-4:45 and even then I'd go to buy snack during the recess time.

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Well, they can get seconds and eat more siding lunch, but as far as I've understood, you're only ever allowed to eat during that time. No snacks at other times of the day.

[@liltunwin]

@@LifeWhereImFrom wow that's quite strict. Though I'm using my adult scenario in which case Japanese kids are probably eating way healthier and plentiful breakfast than I am so it won't be as bad.

[@leonfong4456]

Where are the kids now? Going to high School yet?

[@guard6304]

Woah thats really cool... I also beat that boi Justin Y... * Sticks on winner bage*

[@liltrooper29]

If I lived in Japan I would literally become a teacher just to get free lunch everyday xD

[@Sarah_Grant]

You've lost a lot of weight, Slim.

[@tanelipirinen]

Lol, masks...

[@zam023]

In my opinion, a vegetarian parent SHOULD NOT impose their vegetarian diet on their children who are in a growing stage who needs a balance diet. That is just flat out stupidity on the parent's part. Greg, the question at 20:40 is asking about quality. I think they were asking about the freshness and safety(hygiene-wise).

[@Sarah_Grant]

A billion Indians would disagree.

[@jacintaanderson]

Thats very nieve of you. A plant based diet is actually better for you than a meat one if done right. Lentals and beans contain the same if not more beneficial iron than meat.

[@zam023]

I had a vegetarian Indian roomate back in college. I know what their diet needs are.

[@zam023]

...

[@MiChzP]

Balanced diet is important, like vitamin B12 from animal product