"Kodomo Shokudo" Kids' Cafeterias Hit Record 12,601 Sites

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--The number of "kodomo shokudo" community cafeterias that provide free or low-cost meals mainly to needy children in Japan has reached a record 12,601 this fiscal year, according to a survey by a nonprofit organization.

The total rose by more than 1,700 from the previous fiscal year, said the survey released Thursday by Musubie, a Tokyo-based NPO supporting kodomo shokudo programs nationwide.

The NPO said the expansion reflected efforts by central and local governments to create comfortable spaces for children.

"We aim to create an environment that makes it easier to start and sustain kodomo shokudo programs," Musubie head Rie Mishima said at a press conference.

Musubie also released the results of a separate survey conducted in July and August among the operators of 1,518 kodomo shokudo cafeterias across the country, which showed that 84.7 pct of respondents feel the impact of price increases on their activities.

END