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If there's one thing most people can agree on, it's the simple statement that kids shouldn't go hungry. Children's cafeterias in Japan are designed to ensure that they don't.

What could be wrong with that? Plenty, say some critics, who question whether the solution lets the government off the hook on a critical social problem.

Meals For Free (Or Close to It)

Like any country anywhere, Japan wrestles with poverty. According to Japan's Department of Labor, 15.6% of Japanese live below the poverty line. 13.9% of them are kids.

Japan has a public welfare program to assist some families. (I talked about this a little bit in my recent review of a manga that dramatizes the lives of public assistance social workers.) But such solutions don't always guarantee that children are getting the nutrition they need.

To fill the gap, in 2012, dental hygienist Kondo Hiroko (近藤博子) created the first “children's cafeteria” in a corner of her produce store in Tokyo's Ota Ward. Kondo's intent was to create a space where kids could come by themselves to get a cheap meal. (Adults were also welcome.) Kondo also enlisted the assistance of area cram school tutors, who would help the visiting youngers with their homework.

The children's cafeteria concept spread like wildfire from there. As of 2018, there were over 2,200 spread across Japan.

There is no set operation for how the cafeterias are run, or how much they charge. However, over half of children's cafeterias offer low-cost meals – usually less than “one coin” (ワンコイン; i.e., less than 500 yen) – with an option to eat for free in exchange for volunteering. Most cafeterias' fees land somewhere between 100 and 300 yen.

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In the United States, similar efforts have drawn the attention of celebrity chefs like Jose Andres, whose World Central Kitchen charity provides meals to people in disaster-struck areas. Japan is no different. In Osaka, local chef Ueda Shinichiro (上田慎一郎) has teamed up with four other local chefs to start a large-scale children's cafeteria operation that can serve up to 200. As the child of two working parents, Ueda says that eating with other adults (such as relatives) was often a source of joy for him. To re-create that same feeling, the new cafeteria will create a “picnic” atmosphere where kids and adults can eat food crafted by pros.

https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASM946X2CM94PTFC00R.html The Flavor of Osaka's Kitashinji Comes to Kids' Restaurants; Food Created by Chefs

The Drawbacks to the Children's Cafeteria Trend

But what might seem like a good idea on the surface can still have serious drawbacks. Manga author Saiki Mako (さいきまこ) expressed misgivings over such private charity efforts after Typhoon No. 15 slammed into Tokyo and Chiba, wreaking significant damage:

When I heard the government was supporting children's cafeterias, I thought, “This is gonna end badly.” And, sure enough, when disaster struck, it leaned on well-intentioned private volunteers. Volunteering's not bad. The issue is the government depending on them instead of sending money & people.

Building on that theme, Onishi Ren (大西連), chairman of the nonprofit lifestyle support group Moyai, points out the many downsides to children's cafeterias. Such efforts often exists, he says, “at the pleasure of adults.” If people become busy, or the project can't attract volunteers, a cafeteria may fold at a moment's notice. And cafeterias can't figure out how to cover its myriad costs – space, staff, utilities, food, etc. – often close within months of opening.

全国に急拡大する「子ども食堂」に、いま圧倒的に足りないもの（大西 連） @gendai_biz 「子どもの貧困対策法」成立から5年 ここ数日、「子ども食堂」に関連した報道や記事をよく目にする。 「子ども食堂」とは、主に貧困家庭の子どものために月に数回などの頻度で、無償か廉価で食事を提供する活動のことだ。 … JP Link: What the “Kids' Cafeterias” Spreading Across the Country are Seriously Lacking

Onishi argues that the concept of the children's cafeteria isn't inherently bad. There's a value, he says, in creating a space that not only addresses hunger in kids but creates a “space of belonging” for people who otherwise have none.

But, Onishi says, the cafeterias should be recognized for what they are: a bandage on a serious wound. It's emergency care, as opposed to a prescription of medicine:

「子どもの貧困」にも「地域づくり」にも、いま圧倒的に「処方箋」が足りない。 そのことを意識することが必要だし、「絆創膏」の手当をしながら、「処方箋」の必要性につなげていく視点は今後より求められていくだろう。 As a solution to child poverty and creating local spaces, it's utterly lacking as a prescription. We have to be conscious of this, and people need to insist on the availability of a prescription while these bandages are being applied.

Unfortunately, the Abe government is unlikely to heed this call. The 2018 budget passed by the Japanese Diet reduced Japan's public welfare budget. With less money for the social safety net, children's cafeterias and organizations like Moyai may find themselves picking up the slack for some time to come.

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