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Spring has come! In Japan the school year begins in April. It is a time when many first year students start new lives away from their families for the first time. They have to get up early, wash their own clothes and get their own meals. It is a lot to do, and for many students meals in particular pose a challenge. The decision to cook at home or to eat out is one that every student has to make, and in the current economic climate, it is not a decision that is made easily. According to research by Japan Agricultural Cooperative, 90% of university students in Japan cook for themselves at least once a day. To check this figure, I casually surveyed my friends. Most of them said that they cook two or three days a week, but they do not cook every meal on those days.
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A recent newspaper article focused on how the current recession is impacting the lives of university students in Japan. Parents are being forced to reduce the amount of money that they send to their children who are living away from home. With less allowance at their disposal, students are tightening their belts and cutting expenses however they can. Whether eating in or eating out, it is relatively easy to find ways to save money on food, and many students are becoming more careful and frugal about their eating habits. So, what about the students who decide to cook for themselves? The main reason why many students cook at home is that it is cheaper than eating out. All of my friends agreed with this. Another reason that students cook at home is because they believe that it is healthier. Not only are they concerned about calories, but they worry about preservatives and additives. This was a big concern for my female friends in particular. By eating at home, they can choose the ingredients that goes into their meals and they believe this is the safer option.
On the other hand, for some eating at home can be a problem. At supermarkets, vegetables are usually sold in packs. If you want potatoes, for example, you have to buy a bag of eight. These packs are too much for one person to eat in one meal or one day, and unused vegetables often end up going to waste. To avoid wasting food and money, students need to plan a full week’s worth of menus before they go grocery shopping. Students who enjoy cooking don’t mind this advance planning, but for those who are busy or who don’t like to cook, it makes cooking much more of a burden. Some try to cook for themselves, but quickly give up. Other people do not want to go through all the bother of grocery shopping, cooking and washing up just for one person. And some students feel that eating by themselves is just too lonesome.
What about the students who never cook? Generally speaking, eating out is more expensive than cooking, but savvy students know cheap places to eat and there are so many restaurants to choose from in the city. For example, some restaurants offer spaghetti, Chinese noodles, or a traditional Japanese lunch complete with rice, miso soup and pickles for as little as 400 yen. If students want to eat on campus, the cafeteria serves hot lunches, pre-packed lunch boxes and sandwiches. Another cheap off-campus choice is the convenience store. They sell snacks and drinks, as well as sandwiches, onigiri (rice balls), miso soup, boxed meals, salads, and desserts such as custard puddings and cakes. One of my friends buys yoghurt and a bun for breakfast every morning at the convenience store. Convenience stores are cheap, and as they are open 24 hours and they are everywhere -- the average person lives only 3-minutes walk from a convenience store -- they really are convenient.
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Whether they cook at home or eat out, all students are looking for ways to cut their food bill. For some students, the forethought and effort that they put into cooking their own meals pays dividends in cheaper and healthier meals. Those that prefer to eat out are always on the look out for cheap deals at restaurants, convenience stores and the university cafeteria. Regardless of where they choose to eat, all students will be looking for new ways to save money as times get tougher in the current global economic crisis.
March 13, 2009
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Written by Miho Teraoka (Sophomore)
Photographs by Yusuke Koizumi (Sophomore)
College of Business, Rikkyo University (Tokyo)
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