Q-shoku reading

For any kyuushoku fans wondering what kyuushoku is exactly (not just the food but the cultural issues surrounding it) -- here is a great article I found in the Japan Times by Roger Pulvers. It gives probably the best description of kyuushoku I've found to date, as well as a passionate and enthusiastic defense.

In fact, the Japan Times carried a few other great articles as well, a basic Q&A, as well as a fascinating one by Alice Gordenker. Here's just a small sample of what she had to say regarding the pedagogical aspects of kyuushoku:

This meal is the basis for lunchtime instruction, which is why Japanese educators sometimes speak of school lunch as "a living textbook." The teacher stays with the class and eats the same lunch, talking to the children about nutrition, good eating habits and the foods in that day's meal. The lunchtime lesson is called kyushoku shido and is part of the school curriculum.

Although that's the ideal, I've found the wholesome lessons of school lunch vary by teacher and by grade (younger ones tend to get more instruction in this regard). But all and all, something worth considering!