Ministry bureaucrats are famed for burning the midnight oil, so all the more reason they crave a decent lunch in preparation for the long hard slog ahead.

But all is not quiet on the lunch front in Kasumigaseki, a rather sterile district of Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward dominated by company offices and where many central government ministries and agencies are located.

Each government building traditionally hosts a selection of restaurants. But eateries in many government buildings are fast pulling out for a host of reasons.

“I used to look forward to having lunch as there were restaurants that served Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes, but all I can buy now are lunch boxes,” lamented a fiftysomething official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

One of the three restaurants that shut down at the ministry in late March last year is being remodeled into a shared space for staff members.

The contracts for the other two will likely expire temporarily at the end of March 2025 for refurbishment and other reasons. One of them is slated to close ahead of the Golden Week holiday period in early May.

The two restaurants served a total of around 2,800 customers a month in fiscal 2022.

“Our staff also are calling for more restaurant choices,” a ministry official said.

Lunchtime is generally from noon to 1 p.m., which doesn’t leave enough time to walk to eateries some distance away.

The economy ministry used to have a Starbucks stand, but that was replaced last November by a bento shop that also serves coffee.

CLOSING ONE AFTER ANOTHER

At the end of January, a restaurant at the Justice Ministry overlooking the Imperial Palace closed.

In March last year, a restaurant that specialized in Western food pulled out of the Central Government Building No. 2, which houses the National Police Agency and the internal affairs ministry.

The space remains vacated even after tenants were solicited twice, while another space for a fast-food restaurant once occupied by a McDonald’s has also remained vacant since July 2022.

At the Foreign Ministry, a cafe pulled out at the end of March 2023.

At the Metropolitan Police Department, a bento shop remained in operation for a long time after a restaurant closed. But a new eatery replaced the bento shop on April 1. 

DIMLY LIT OFFICES

With the reduced dining options, public servants are compelled to wait in line in dining halls and at convenience stores inside their office buildings.

Customs also demand that young officials make way for older colleagues.

“I wish I could give them free rein, at least during lunchtime,” a transport ministry official said with a sigh.

Ministries and agencies generally allow food trucks to sell lunch boxes in their premises several times a week.

Many government offices are dimly lit during the lunch break to save energy, causing some staff to shy away from eating in their offices.

‘WASTE OF NATIONAL PROPERTIES’

“Sometimes we work until late at night, so it is important to eat well. We need decent food to prepare for work in the afternoon,” one official said.

In the bureaucrat's opinion, spaces inside government-owned properties are being wasted.

Because rents from restaurants operating inside central government buildings are incorporated into the general account, the government sees a drop in revenue when many spaces remain vacant.

According to a Finance Ministry official, rents are about 30 percent cheaper for eateries operating in the Kasumigaseki district compared to other restaurants in surrounding areas because bureaucrats can terminate their contracts for all sorts of reasons, though such cases are rare.

One of the main reasons for restaurants to pull out is heightened security measures.

Many offices used to be open to the public, but visitors are now required to be registered at the reception counter. It means government workers are now the only customers.

As few people are working at weekends, the eateries can only make money on weekdays.

Other reasons include restaurant operators having to shoulder utility expenses; the declining culture of food delivery; and an increased number of government meetings during which bottled tea drinks are served instead of coffee from cafes.

BLESSED WITH LUNCH CHOICES

But it’s not all bad.

“Honestly, I haven’t had any inconveniences,” said an official of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

The ministry is housed in the Kasumigaseki Common Gate commercial complex with about 10 restaurants operating inside the twin towers.

It is also located within a few minutes’ walk from the bustling Toranomon district, which has loads of eating and drinking establishments.

Restaurants in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have been proving popular among diners. The eateries are also open to the public.

At the request of the ministry, the restaurants offer dishes using domestically produced ingredients, including those from the Tohoku region, as part of efforts to improve the food self-sufficiency rate and support disaster-stricken areas.

One of the restaurants serves whale dishes.

“We hope we can provide a forum to promote the charms of locally produced foods to the public as well as our staff,” an official said.

(This story was written by Eishi Kado and Daisuke Yajima.)