Japan is the king of SCHOOL LUNCHES and in this episode, I find the answer to why -- while eating a lot of Japanese school food.

School lunches in Japan are world famous for being super healthy and delicious. With extremely low childhood obesity rates, many have turned to Japan for solutions to feed their school aged kids in the cafeteria. But that's part of the answer. Japanese elementary school kids don't even eat in a cafeteria. They eat in the classroom ? with the teacher.

It is not possible to eat inside a Japanese elementary school (if you're a tourist) but there is a place in Tokyo where you can try nearly everything. Japanese parents take their preschool kids here to try it as well as older people coming back for a taste of nostalgia.
This magical place is called KYUSHOKU TOBAN (???? ) and it's a place where you can not only try some of Japan's regional school foods from all over the country, you can also do it in an elementary school classroom! The 2nd floor is a near exact replication.
If you've ever wanted to be an exchange student in Japan -- or return to 5th grade, here's your chance.

Unique Japanese School Lunch MENU Items:

? AGEPAN: Fried baked bun covered in sugar and kinako (or other toppings like cinnamon or cocoa)

? SOFTMEN: A special noodle served only in schools. It comes wrapped in plastic and should be dipped in meat sauce or stew.

? WHALE: This was served in schools a long time ago because whale was more available and much cheaper tha...