School lunch is free at city elementary and junior high schools. Children who bring a packed lunch because of allergies or similar get the equivalent of the lunch fee
Program to Reduce Parents' Burden for School Lunch Fees (Free School Lunch at City Elementary and Junior High Schools) / Hamura City
Program to Reduce Parents' Burden for School Lunch Fees (Free School Lunch at City Elementary and Junior High Schools)Hamura CityCity elementary and junior high schools
School lunch at city elementary and junior high schools is free
School lunch fee¥0Children with packed lunches get a subsidy equal to the lunch fee
- The subsidy requires an application every fiscal year
School lunch at Hamura City elementary and junior high schools has been free since January 2025. It is also free in FY2026 (April 2026–March 2027). Parents of children who cannot eat school lunch because of food allergies, religious reasons, or similar and bring a packed lunch receive a subsidy equal to the school lunch fee. This subsidy requires an application every fiscal year. Applications for FY2026 (from September 1 to November 2, 2026) have closed.
Nationality and residence status
The official page (checked in October 2026) sets no condition on nationality or residence status that we found. Eligibility follows the official conditions, not the language of this page; many programs require resident registration in the municipality.
Who is eligible
Parents of students attending Hamura City elementary and junior high schools (the subsidy is for parents of students who submitted a packed-lunch notification and bring a packed lunch)
Notes
Start of free school lunch: https://www.city.hamura.tokyo.jp/0000019005.html
Free school lunch in FY2026, and the possibility that the elementary school portion may change depending on national subsidies: https://www.city.hamura.tokyo.jp/0000020409.html