![[Nostalgic Memories] Popular Menu Items from Showa-Era School Lunches](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RPEnTNjdwl8/sddefault.jpg)
[Nostalgic Memories] Popular Menu Items from Showa-Era School Lunches
“It’s lunchtime!” With this call, the long-awaited Showa-era school lunch time begins, hearts full of excitement.
Curry rice, soft noodles, fried bread, Milk-Mate with kaiser rolls…
The aromas and flavors of school lunches come back to life along with nostalgic memories.
In this article, we’ll introduce the lunch menu items we looked forward to every day.
From dishes that still remain popular today to those unique to the Showa period, let’s take this opportunity to look back on those nostalgic menus.
[Nostalgic Memories] Popular Menu Items from Showa-Era School Lunches (1–10)
frozen mandarin orange
Have you ever had frozen mikan (mandarin oranges)? They aren’t rock-hard; there’s a thin layer of ice on them and they’re semi-thawed, so you can actually eat them as is.
They’re really cold and taste great in the summer.
The texture is crunchy and icy—more like eating a mandarin-orange sorbet than fresh fruit.
You don’t see them much in today’s school lunches, but back in the Showa era they were a staple, and there’s even a song inspired by frozen mikan.
fried bread
I bet many of you were thrilled when fried bread showed up in school lunches! When it comes to school-lunch bread, the classic is the koppe-pan—simple and the perfect match for any side dish.
But every now and then, that koppe-pan would appear as fried bread.
Fried bread is made by deep-frying koppe-pan at a high temperature of 180–200°C and coating it with kinako mixed with sugar.
In recent years, due to factors like rising prices, there were times when school-lunch bread service was temporarily halted, but I still hope kids get the chance to try this fried bread at least once.
Deep-fried whale Tatsuta-age
Dishes made with whale, which nowadays appear less often on the dining table.
In the Showa era, many school lunches served deep-fried marinated whale (tatsuta-age).
In Japan from the late 1940s through the 1960s, when obtaining food was difficult, whale meat—high in nutritional value and inexpensive—was eaten at a time when chicken and pork were not widely available.
Until around 1970, it was served in elementary school lunches, but after commercial whaling was halted, its availability fell sharply.
However, since the start of the Reiwa era, Japan has resumed commercial whaling, and it’s said that some schools now serve whale dishes in their lunches again.
soft noodles
Soft noodles began as a staple of school lunches in the late 1960s (the Showa 40s).
They’re characterized by a soft, chewy texture with a bit of stickiness.
Since the noodles themselves aren’t seasoned, many schools served a separate soup that students would add the noodles to.
To make it easier to take the noodles out of the bag, many kids would use a spoon or fork to separate the noodles before opening the package, then put the portioned noodles into the soup to eat.
Nowadays, it seems fewer schools serve soft noodles.
Even so, it remains a beloved school lunch for many.
fruit punch
Let us introduce the hugely popular school-lunch dessert: fruit punch.
With its refreshing feel, fruit punch is vividly colorful and features sweet syrup and chewy shiratama rice dumplings.
Many of you may remember chatting with friends about how your cup happened to be packed with lots of shiratama and fruit, saying, “I hit the jackpot!” Even today, fruit punch remains a dessert beloved by children in school lunches.
When you hurry to finish your meal so you can save the fruit punch for last, it has a special taste, doesn’t it?
yakisoba (fried noodles)
Since around 1965 (Showa 40), yakisoba became a hugely popular school lunch item among children.
Many people probably remember eating the combination of bread and yakisoba in their school lunches.
The yakisoba served at schools has a gentle flavor, with plenty of vegetables to consider children’s nutrition.
Making large batches—combining lots of yakisoba noodles, chopped vegetables, and seasonings in a big pot—relies on the cooks’ skilled techniques.
Alternative dishes using yakisoba noodles have also been created and remain widely loved to this day.
Meatball Soup
Meatball soup that makes many people blurt out, “I’ve had this! So nostalgic!” The pork meatballs are made by rolling ground pork and mixing in finely chopped vegetables like carrots and onions, making it a healthy, energizing dish.
Even when it cools, meatball soup still tastes great—many people probably asked for seconds.
It pairs perfectly with bread or rice, and I’m sure plenty of folks remember dipping a bit of bread into the soup.
Meatball soup is still loved by children today—be sure to give it a try!