Japan Opposition Parties Submit Bill for Free School Meals

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)--Three opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan jointly submitted a bill Monday to make school lunches free at public elementary and junior high schools.

The bill to revise the school lunch program law was submitted to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, by the main opposition CDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People.

The measure is expected to cost around 490 billion yen a year. The trio hopes to include the necessary expenses in a draft fiscal 2025 budget to introduce the measure in April 2025.

CDP Executive Deputy President Akira Nagatsuma told reporters, "We hope to bring the opposition parties together and put forth (the bill) to the ruling camp."

Nippon Ishin policy head Hitoshi Aoyagi said that a united move by the opposition, such as the one for free school lunches, will encourage the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, to take such a proposal into serious consideration.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]