Daily Life Lessons · School
If your child has a food allergy or foods they cannot eat, understand how to tell the school and what document is needed (the School Life Management Guidance Form), and be able to decide on school lunch arrangements together with the doctor and the school.
Most public elementary and junior high schools serve school lunch (給食) at midday. If your child has a food allergy, be sure to tell the school before enrollment or when transferring in.
To receive school lunch accommodations, you need to submit a School Life Management Guidance Form (for allergic diseases) (学校生活管理指導表（アレルギー疾患用）) filled in by a doctor. The parent and the school then meet to decide on measures such as lunches without the foods that cause the allergy (elimination meals, 除去食) or bringing a packed lunch (弁当) from home. What accommodations are possible differs by school and by the facility that prepares the lunches. The guidelines of the Ministry of Education (MEXT) are based on putting safety first and deciding measures according to a doctor's diagnosis. Also consult the doctor and the school about matters such as whether your child needs to bring medicine to school for use if symptoms appear.
If there are foods your child cannot eat for religious or health reasons, talk to the homeroom teacher as well.
日本の 小学校・中学校では、昼に 給食（きゅうしょく）が 出ます。
食物（しょくもつ）アレルギーが ある ときは、学校に 必ず 伝えます。
1. 病院で、医師（いし）に「学校生活管理指導表（がっこうせいかつかんりしどうひょう）」を 書いて もらいます。 2. 学校に 出します。 3. 学校の 先生と 話して、どうするか 決めます。 - アレルギーの 食べ物を 取った 給食 - お弁当（べんとう）を 持っていく など
できる ことは 学校に よって ちがいます。 薬（くすり）の ことも、医師と 学校に 相談しましょう。
宗教（しゅうきょう）などで 食べられない ものが ある ときも、先生に 相談します。
What should you do first if your child has a food allergy?
Telling the school is the starting point for any accommodation.
Which document do you submit to receive allergy accommodations for school lunch?
The Ministry of Education's guidelines require submission of the School Life Management Guidance Form (for allergic diseases), based on a doctor's diagnosis.
Which is a correct example of school lunch accommodations?
Accommodations are decided in a meeting between the school and the parent. What is possible differs by school and facility.
What do the Ministry of Education's guidelines value most?
The guidelines are based on putting safety first and on accommodations that follow a doctor's diagnosis.
What should you do if there are foods your child cannot eat for religious reasons?
The Ministry of Education's guidebook also advises talking to the homeroom teacher if there are foods a child cannot eat for health or religious reasons.
Q. Where can I get the School Life Management Guidance Form?
A. It is often given to you by the school or the board of education. Have a doctor fill it in at the medical institution where your child is examined. The cost of filling it in differs depending on the medical institution and how insurance applies, so check when you visit.
Q. Do I need to submit it every year?
A. Because allergy conditions can change, the Ministry of Education's guidelines say that, if you want school lunch accommodations, the form should basically be submitted every year. Follow the school's instructions.
Q. Do I have to pay for school lunch?
A. School lunch fees are, in principle, paid by the parent. From April 2026, national support has reduced school lunch costs at public elementary schools, but any remaining cost differs by municipality. If your child brings a packed lunch, check with the school or municipality how lunch fees are handled.
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Systems and procedures may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live and on the time of year. Please check the latest information from your local government or the relevant organizations.
Content checked on: 2026-09-28
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. View the Japanese original