Spring is still a little far away. Before the snow melts, the wind softens, and the cherry blossoms begin to bud, a quiet change came to Suwa Kindergarten. One day, we received a solemn notice from our lunch provider:

“We will be discontinuing our service from April.”

And so, we embarked on a small adventure—the Quest for a New Lunch Provider. It felt like searching for lost bread in the depths of a forest. The entire staff gathered for discussions, conducted tasting sessions, analyzed nutritional values, and debated the best possible solution…

At last, we found it—the one. The perfect lunch center. A sigh of relief spread across the room. Even our stomachs, it seemed, sighed in contentment.

Food is Culture, and Every Meal is a Story

Eating is not just about nutrition. It is a ritual, a cultural tradition, and a tiny story woven into our daily lives. For children, lunchtime is the highlight of their day—a grand stage where the great drama of “likes and dislikes” unfolds.

This reminds me of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf. Inger, a proud young girl, places her foot on a loaf of bread to avoid stepping in the mud. The moment she does, the ground splits open, swallowing her into the underworld—a tale of punishment for taking food for granted.

Indeed, when food is treated carelessly, no good comes of it. I hope our children learn to appreciate even a single piece of bread. Of course, no one at Suwa Kindergarten will be dragged into the underworld for leaving their vegetables untouched, but the importance of cherishing our meals is a lesson worth teaching.

Eating is Learning

Suwa Kindergarten is not just a place that provides lunch. As a model school for food and agricultural education, we view every meal as a learning experience.

Take, for example, our vegetable garden. The children dig the soil, plant seeds, water them, and patiently watch them grow. And then, the long-awaited moment of harvest arrives.

“Look, the tomatoes turned red!”
“Cucumbers are so prickly!”

Through these small discoveries, they begin to understand: eating is living.

And then, there’s that special moment—when a child who once shouted, “I hate carrots!” takes a bite and says, “This is the carrot I grew myself.”

A small, yet undeniable miracle.