Cafeterias geared toward children from foreign backgrounds have been opening across Japan, providing food assistance and comfort to kids who may feel isolated by language barriers or cultural differences.

Platters piled high with fried chicken, rice noodles, fried rice and more were lined up on July 20 at a children’s cafeteria event held near JR Hakata Station in Fukuoka.

The menu at the Japanese restaurant was written in both hiragana and English on a whiteboard.

Bui Thi Thu Sang, 35, who hails from Vietnam, chatted with children and their parents in Japanese, Vietnamese and English.

Around 15 children of foreign descent visited the cafeteria on that day. Some had parents from Vietnam and one had a father from Nepal and a Japanese mother.

JAPANESE HAS IMPROVED

The children’s cafeteria food assistance events are run by the Fukuoka International Residents Association.

Sang, president of the association, came to Japan to study more than 10 years ago.

After a while, she noticed that many of her classmates were now working long hours in restaurants and other jobs. Their children, who spent most of their time at home, had irregular daily routines.

Hoping to support these children, she decided to open a cafeteria to provide meals and a place for them to gather.

Three years ago, she started holding children’s cafeteria events for expats in a Vietnamese restaurant about 5 kilometers from the current Japanese restaurant.

“I want them to study, eat and play together,” she said.

Kandel Abhishek, 13, who came to Japan with his parents from Nepal three years ago, initially struggled with Japanese and could not keep up in school.

Sang continued to treat him kindly. She said he can now enjoy a variety of foods from various countries and his Japanese skills have improved.

PLACE TO BELONG

Even in areas that have long had communities of foreign residents, efforts to provide more supportive spaces continue.

Many Japanese-Brazilians working as temporary employees for Toyota-related companies reside in the Homi housing complex in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.

Torcida, a nonprofit organization that supports children of foreign descent, holds the “Minna Kodomo Shokudo” (cafeteria where all children are welcome) there once a month.

Rie Yamaki, 47, a staff member at Torcida, said that she saw many people lose their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and many are still worse off and struggling with poverty even after finding new employment.

Despite this, she mentioned that some Japanese-Brazilians are hesitant to visit the cafeteria, saying, “In our home country, meals are something that the entire family gathers together for.”

Yamaki emphasized that “having this event at a regular time and place is important” to encourage people to come.

CONSIDERING RELIGIOUS AND DIETARY NEEDS

In Osaka’s Ikuno district, historically home to many Korean residents, residents from around 80 countries were residing there as of March.

Tetsuya Inoue, 58, of third-generation Korean descent, launched a children’s cafeteria four years ago, saying he wanted to help others like him.

He currently runs a food pantry that distributes food once a month, mainly in the district.

According to the Nationwide Children’s Cafeteria Support Center Musubie, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization, such children’s cafeterias are increasing, particularly in urban areas. 

These cafeterias are making efforts to make them more accessible by writing information in hiragana and considering various religious dietary restrictions.

“Communities of foreign nationals provide an important support network and a sense of belonging,” said Eriko Suzuki, a professor at Kokushikan University who is well-versed in immigration policy.

“It’s important to connect foreign residents with Japanese society,” she added.

Suzuki also emphasized the need for creating a system where Japanese can easily participate in children’s cafeterias run by foreign communities and also consider dietary needs and how information is presented, which would help make these places more inclusive.

(This article was written by Yuto Ota and Erika Matsumoto.)