One Phone Call, 2,100 Meals Lost: Fukushima School Dumps Graduation Feast on March 11th, Sparks Public Outcry
Approximately 2,100 servings of sekihan (red bean rice), prepared as a celebratory lunch for graduates on March 11th at a junior high school in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, were discarded. This decision came after a single phone complaint deemed the celebratory meal “inappropriate on the day of the earthquake,” leading the city’s Board of Education to order its disposal and replacement with emergency canned bread. The ruling has ignited a firestorm of criticism on social media, with many expressing sentiments like “incomprehensible” and “the height of folly.” March 11th marks the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. While it is a day of remembrance and mourning for many, it is also a day on which personal milestones and joyous events, such as graduations, birthdays, and wedding anniversaries, are celebrated. This year, junior high schools in Iwaki City had included sekihan in their menu to celebrate students nearing graduation. However, a complaint received by th...