Societal resilience in Japan can start at the table. Here’s how

As global climate risks and political instability grow, building a resilient society has become increasingly vital. One key to achieving this is strengthening human connections within local communities. In Japan, however, more people are choosing to spend time alone in various aspects of daily life, including meals.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s 2023 National Health and Nutrition Survey, only 19% of men and women aged 20 and older reported having opportunities for "communal dining" or sharing meals with others outside of work or school within the past year. In another survey targeting teenagers and young adults, 84.5% said they ate dinner alone at least four times a week. Similarly, a survey by Dentsu, a media and communications services provider, found a decline over the past three years in the belief that "delicious food should be enjoyed with others rather than alone" among people aged 15 to 79.

In contrast, a survey by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries found that the most common responses regarding eating alone were: "I don’t want to eat alone, but meal times and locations don’t align with others" (35.5%) and "I don’t want to eat alone, but I have no one to eat with" (31.1%). These findings underscore that a significant number of people do want to dine with others but cannot due to various circumstances.

Research suggests that people who frequently eat alone are less likely to have balanced meals compared to those who eat with others. Another study indicates that eating alone can decrease communication opportunities and impact mental health while sharing meals with others helps alleviate negative emotions.

In response, Japan has launched initiatives to encourage communal dining as a way to improve health and strengthen social connections.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has set a target under its health promotion plan, Health Japan 21 (The third term), to raise the percentage of people dining with others in their communities from the current 19% to 30% by 2032.

"Social connections contribute to better health,” a ministry representative stated. “While communal dining has become more challenging due to the impact of the pandemic and increasingly diverse lifestyles, we aim to implement effective measures."

Local governments across Japan are also running awareness campaigns to encourage communal dining. The city of Osaka, for example, has launched a webpage titled Let's Eat Together, outlining the benefits of communal dining and offering tips on how to increase more opportunities for shared meals. The city has set specific targets for reducing the number of residents who eat lunch and dinner alone.

The number of services provided by private companies aiming to increase communal dining has also been growing. Hagukumu, a life design company, hosts community dinners twice a month where strangers come together to share a meal. Each event accommodates up to 15 participants, with a facilitator assigned to help spark communication even among first-time attendees. The company’s founder and CEO, Takeshi Kodera, explained that bringing together people who would not typically meet in their daily lives helps strengthen social connections while broadening participants’ perspectives.

In addition, tech company Nijuni has launched a user-driven app called “shokuji”, which was designed to simplify the organization and participation in “connect through dining” events. By combining an event management tool with a food-ordering system, the app aims to provide casual communal dining opportunities within local communities, helping to reduce loneliness and foster communication.

Communal dining offers benefits in the business world, too. While large companies have long invested in enhancing employee cafeterias to promote communication among staff, smaller businesses that often lack the necessary funds or facilities are increasingly turning to external services to create communal dining opportunities.

For example, Nonpi, a food communication company, provides not only catering services but also designs spaces that facilitate interaction. Their services are used by several companies, including PC Depot Corporation and Inui Global Logistics.

In line with these corporate meal services, a petition has been submitted urging the government to relax the tax-free meal subsidy limit. In Japan, the maximum amount companies can provide tax-free for employee meal subsidies has remained unchanged since it was set in 1984. Amid the rising cost of living, relaxing this limit is expected to support the promotion of "adult food education" through communal dining, one of the key objectives outlined in the petition.

According to the World Health Organization, "social connection is the foundation of well-functioning societies, economies, communities and families." Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Resilience Consortium describes resilience as "the ability to deal with adversity, withstand shocks and continuously adapt and accelerate as disruptions and crises arise over time."

Building resilience requires a strong social foundation. In this context, Japan’s efforts to increase communal dining, though simple, can play a vital role in strengthening social bonds and contributing to a more resilient society.