School lunch at city elementary and junior high schools is free (from January 2025)
Free School Lunch / Higashimurayama City
Free School LunchHigashimurayama CityNo procedure needed
School lunch at city elementary schools is free
School lunch fees at city elementary schools¥0From January 2025, for the time being
- Children who bring a packed lunch get a subsidy equal to the lunch fee
- For how all-student lunch at junior high schools is handled, ask the city
From January 2025 (the third term of FY2024), school lunch at Higashimurayama City elementary schools has been free for the time being. Parents do not need to do any procedure. At junior high schools, lunch fees were free for students who signed up for school lunch (School Lunch). School Lunch ended in July 2026, and from September, lunch for all students served from shared containers (shokkan method) started. Children who unavoidably bring a packed lunch because of food allergies or similar receive a subsidy equal to the school lunch fee.
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 at Higashimurayama City elementary schools, and of students at city junior high schools who signed up for junior high school lunch
Notes
The per-meal price at elementary schools is ¥272 for lower grades, ¥296 for middle grades, and ¥320 for upper grades, and parents pay ¥0.At junior high schools, all-student lunch from shared containers started in September 2026, and the lunch fee is ¥386 per meal (city's junior high school lunch page, updated October 30, 2026).The city's free school lunch page (updated June 3, 2025) describes the junior high school coverage as "students who have signed up for junior high school lunch," and does not yet describe how it is handled after all-student lunch began. The city's FY2026 budget includes a "School Lunch Fee Free-of-Charge Support Subsidy" for junior high schools (about ¥243,010,000). The parents' share at junior high schools can be confirmed with the Education Department, School Affairs Division (042-393-5111, extension 3805).