There's a central facility that makes lunch for all the elementary and junior high schools in Joyo City. They deliver it in insulated tubs along with lunch trays, bowls, spoons and cartons of milk. The students wash their hands at the sink in the hallway and put on their white smocks, hats and masks like these two.
A few students go pick up everything they will need for lunch. The other students rearrange the desks into groups or, in this class, into a strange formation that was difficult to navigate.
They serve up the food in equal portions with some help from the teacher and soon each student's desk looks like this:
Most of the time they prefer to use their own chopsticks instead of the provided spoons. Before they dig in, the class leaders for the day ask everyone to put their hands together and say, "itadakimasu!" which means "humbly receive" and serves to show thanks for the food and the people who prepared it.
After eating they put their empty dishes back in the crates and head back out the sink to brush their teeth. Then they take everything back.
2 comments:
So do you live in Japan? I knew you visited there once but had no idea you go there quite often. How fun!
My first time to Japan was for 1-month exchange during high school. The summer after graduation I went back to visit. In college I spent a semester in Kyoto and a couple years ago my mom, aunt and I took my grandma sight seeing in Japan for her 80th brithday!
Now I've been living here for 9 months.
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