Typhoon Forces School Closures, So Lunch Bread Sold for 100 Yen for 10 Pieces; Japan's 'Food Loss' Story Draws 5 Million Views

[Financial News] A Japanese bus route enthusiast's account of buying 10 pieces of bread in three varieties, including spinach bread, round milk bread, and rice flour bread, for just 100 yen (894 won) is drawing attention in Japan. The bread was reportedly sold as part of Fukuoka City's efforts to reduce food loss, after schools closed because of a typhoon and the lunch bread was left over.
On the 23rd, Japanese media outlets such as Netorabo introduced the lunch bread that had recently been sold at Fukuoka City Hall and became a social media sensation.
The person who introduced the bread was Okihama Tamahiko, 53, who lives in Fukuoka and describes himself as a "bus route explorer." On his X account, where he posts about bus routes, he wrote that he had visited city hall and found lunch bread being sold on the spot. As of the 23rd, the post had about 5 million views and roughly 55,000 likes.
The bread Tamahiko bought came in three varieties, including spinach bread, milk bread, and rice flour bread. There were 10 pieces in a bag, but the price was only 100 yen.
He also shared a witty comment on X, saying, "I shared the bread I bought with my sons in their 20s. It had been a long time since I had school lunch, and I wondered if bread had ever been this tasty." He added, "There was no rice flour bread when I was in school."
Fukuoka City Hall sold the bread after typhoon-related disruptions forced all schools in Fukuoka City to close. Since the lunch bread had already been produced and was at risk of being discarded in large quantities because of the closures, the Fukuoka City School Lunch Corporation carried out an emergency sale to the public to prevent waste.
Netorabo reported that all of the prepared stock sold out, helping reduce food waste as well.
The school lunch corporation said this was not the first time it had held such a sale.
It explained that it had also sold leftover lunch bread at city hall when a typhoon approached in 2021 and during heavy rain in 2023. It has used the same method to sell bread to the public when class closures caused by influenza outbreaks left a certain amount of lunch bread unused. The corporation said, "We are grateful to the citizens who have shown great interest in and support for our food loss measures."
In Yokohama, bakeries operate a "leftover bread vending machine" that sells unsold bread at a discount.
Online reactions have also been positive.
Comments included, "I definitely want to buy this," "I'm jealous that you can buy so much for 100 yen," "This is a great example of reducing food waste," and "I hope this kind of policy spreads further."
[email protected] Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter