According to an NPO survey, there are about 6,000 "children's cafeterias" that provide food and places for children nationwide, an increase of more than 20% compared to last year's survey.



The NPO says that it is expanding as a place for interaction not only for children but also for a wide range of generations.

This was investigated by the NPO "National Children's Cafeteria Support Center Musubie" through local governments, social welfare councils, and support groups nationwide.



According to this, as of the 15th of this month, there were 6007 "Kodomo Shokudo" that provide food and places for children, 1047 from the survey conducted in December last year, an increase of 21%. That is.



By prefecture, Tokyo has the largest number at 747, followed by Osaka at 470 and Hyogo at 373, with the number increasing in 40 prefectures.



According to NPOs, when the children's cafeteria was first established, it was often used by children who eat alone or who cannot eat enough because their parents are working.



Since then, it has expanded as a place for interaction not only with children but also with a wide range of generations such as the elderly and students, and it is often the case that the children's cafeteria was started because of the corona.



Makoto Yuasa, the chairman of the NPO, said, "While it is said that the connection between people is weakening due to the corona disaster, we would like to further expand these activities."

Approximately 1.6 times as much as before the spread of infection "necessary for interaction of various age groups"

The number of "children's cafeterias" is increasing nationwide, and according to an NPO survey, this is about 1.6 times higher than before the spread of the infection.



According to the NPO "National Children's Cafeteria Support Center Musubie" that is conducting the survey, the number of children's cafeterias nationwide is


▽ 2286 in 2018


▽ 3718 in 2019


▽ 4960 last year (2020). Locations


▽ This year (2021) is 6007


locations, an increase of more than 1000 locations every year.



Compared to the adult before the spread of the infection, this is about 1.6 times more.



The NPO defines "Kodomo Shokudo" as "a free or fixed-price dining room where even one child can come, regardless of the name of the children's dining room, community dining room, or everyone's dining room."



Initially, it was often used by children who eat alone or who cannot eat enough because their parents are working.



After that, the "Kodomo Shokudo" was opened more and more as a part of community development and community development, accepting a wide range of elderly people and young people.



The NPO said, "The corona is becoming more and more demanding for connections and bonds with people. I think that the children's cafeteria is becoming more important as a place to give those people a sense of security. Due to the depopulation and depopulation, and the increase in single-person households, we need a place where people of all ages can interact and connect with each other. "

"Multi-generational exchange" and "community development / town development" are also aimed at

At this NPO, a questionnaire survey was conducted on the Internet from October to this month to the representatives who run the children's cafeteria, and 1284 people responded.



When asked about the main purpose of the children's cafeteria in multiple answers


▽ "Providing meals for children" was 89.1%


▽ "Creating a place for children" was 83.6%


▽ "Support for single-parent families" was 60.8%


▽ " “Multi-generational exchange” was 57.8%


▽ “Community development / town development” was 56.3%.



In addition, when the children's cafeteria was started, "2017 to 2019" was 49.2%, which was half, while "after 2020" was 24.5%, which was a quarter. I think that there are many cases where the activity was started as a result of.

Food distribution at the children's cafeteria Children's learning support Tokyo Hachioji

新型コロナウイルスの影響が続く中、東京 八王子市で食料の配布などを行う子ども食堂が26日、開かれ、多くの人が訪れました。



東京 八王子市にある「こすもす・だれでも食堂」は、子どもや高齢者など幅広い世代の人たちが気軽に集まり交流する場を作ろうと、地元の住民や大学生が5年前に始めた子ども食堂です。　



1か月に1度、事前に申し込みをした人に野菜やレトルト食品などの食料の配布を行っていて、26日も子育て中の母親や高齢者などが訪れて受け取っていました。



この子ども食堂では、感染の拡大を受けて多くの人が集まって食事をとることをやめていて、去年5月から食料の配布を始めました。



これをきっかけに、つながりがなかった高齢者や仕事を失った人などから連絡があり、現在はおよそ50世帯に食料の配布を行っていて、生活などの相談にも応じています。



また26日は、大学院生がボランティアで子どもに勉強を教える学習支援が行われたほか、家族連れなど昔ながらの遊びを楽しんで、集まった人たちと交流を深めていました。



この取り組みを支えたいという人が増えていて、運営に関わるボランティアの数は、感染拡大前のおととしのおよそ20人から、現在はおよそ30人に増加したということです。



3人の子どもを育てるシングルマザーの20代女性は「コロナ禍で人との関わりが少なくなって、ストレスもため込んでしまうので、こうした場所があると、とても助かります」と話していました。



Ayuma Kumagai (29), a graduate student who is the representative of the children's cafeteria, said, "The number of people who want to cherish the connection with people due to the corona sickness is increasing, and I hope that they will actively cooperate with the activities of the children's cafeteria. I think that it is becoming more and more important now that there is a need for a place where people can hear and accept the worries and hardships of life that are difficult to see, and I feel that the children's cafeteria will become even more important. " I did.

Foreigners also participate Christmas party at the children's cafeteria Aichi Seto

A Christmas party was held on the 26th at the children's cafeteria in the housing complex where many foreigners live in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, and children and adults deepened their exchanges.



The children's cafeteria in Seto City started activities five years ago to reduce the number of children who eat alone.



Many foreigners from South America live in the area, and there are also Peruvians in the staff, so at the Christmas party on the 26th, more than 30 Japanese and foreign parents and children gathered.



At the party, children and adults enjoyed interacting with each other by playing a game of breaking balloons with their hips and a chair-picking game, and playing a Christmas song from South America.



After the game, a Peruvian Christmas cake featuring a sweet sponge with syrup was served, and the children were eating deliciously.



A child in the 4th grade of elementary school said, "I didn't know some of them, but I enjoyed playing with them. I want to have fun playing with them next year as well."



Etsuko Hattori, the representative of the NPO "Saruna Nakatona toto", which runs the children's cafeteria, said, "I didn't support because I'm a foreigner, but because I live in the same area, I've been doing what I can do together next year. I want to do various things together based on this. "

The movement to support is even among companies

The movement to support children's cafeterias is spreading among companies.



The NPO that conducted the survey this time is calling for support for the children's cafeteria, and the total amount of cash and food donated by companies over the last year amounted to about 390 million yen.



It means that it was delivered to children's cafeterias nationwide, increasing nearly 10 times for about 40 million yen.