Jakarta – The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Masaki Yasushi, has expressed his country’s interest in the free nutritious meal program for students proposed by the elected president for 2024-2029, Prabowo Subianto.

Yasushi highlighted the importance of the free nutritious meal initiative, noting that the Japanese government plans to invite the Indonesian government to discuss the program in September 2024.

“We will invite the Indonesian government to Japan, specifically regarding this topic (free school lunches) to discuss what they can expect from schools in Japan and to have discussions,” Yasushi said, as quoted from Antara, on Sunday (June 23).

Yasushi explained that Japan’s current free school lunch program has been in place for over 100 years, initiated as part of post-war efforts to improve children’s nutrition. He also mentioned that the program has helped low-income families provide nutritious meals.

The Japanese government is eager to support Indonesia by sharing experiences as a country that implements free school lunches. One emphasized aspect is the importance of education about food and nutrition.

“Children must understand how important it is to choose the right foods and nutrients every day,” Yasushi elaborated.

“This is what we have implemented to achieve schools that provide nutrition education. It would be very interesting for the people of Indonesia,” he added.

The free nutritious meal at schools is one of the flagship programs announced by Prabowo along with the elected vice-president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. This program is set to begin in 2025 and will be implemented in phases.