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The story
Comedian Yasuko has revealed on social media the monthly operating costs of “Yasu Mattari,” the children’s cafeteria she runs in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, reporting that she provided 180 meals free of charge. Yasuko announced the cafeteria’s opening back in July, saying it fulfilled “a dream I’d been talking about for two years,” and this latest report is a follow-up on that effort. On 5ch, opinions clashed between those arguing that recipients won’t develop a sense of self-reliance unless they pay something, and those praising the steady, grassroots work — the discussion also grew into a debate over the breakdown of the roughly 260,000 yen it cost to provide those 180 meals.
Yasuko reports children’s cafeteria’s monthly costs: “We managed to provide 180 meals for free!!”
On the 26th, both comedian Yasuko’s (26) social media and the official account for “Yasu Mattari,” the children’s cafeteria she opened in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, were updated with the cafeteria’s monthly costs.
In July, Yasuko announced on her own social media that she was opening a children’s cafeteria, saying “a dream I’d been talking about for two years has come true.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Especially at a kids' cafeteria — it could double as a chance to teach kids to say "itadakimasu" and "gochisousama" (the customary phrases said before/after a meal).
Kids need to learn that you pay for what you get.
Getting everything handed to you for free just breeds a dependent, loser mentality.
Not just Yasuko — every kids' cafeteria nationwide should be charging at least 100 yen.
That kind of authority and discretion matters a lot — that's exactly what people are chasing when they go off and start their own business.
I hope people like Miyazon (another comedian known for charity work) and her get to be happy.
Thought, "wait, is big sis Yasue really doing this kind of thing?"
shoveling food down like they're racing the clock.
The difference is eating for free from the start versus it only becoming free if you finish your plate.
In a way it's undercutting private businesses.
Can any kid use it, or is it limited somehow??
"Pay-it-forward tickets" like that have been around forever.
Also, if she plans to keep this going long-term, she should charge at least a little.
Re: #23
That's the "Genki Curry" model.
Isn't that way too expensive?
If this person ever quits, the kids around there are gonna go hungry.
She can't stop now lol
It's not about whether such systems exist or not — the point is that it's a nice thing, right?
That's why it's like, "you're bringing that up now?"
Couldn't it be done for something like 300 yen a meal?
That's the total operating cost including rent, utilities, and everything else — not just food.
Even food costs alone would be tight at 300 yen.
True, if you think of it as an advertising expense… If it gets her more work and lets her provide even more meals, I guess that's fine too lol
That would drive up the cost of containers.
If you managed to get in with a church, you'd have to help out with chores and look after the kids, but you'd get at least one meal out of it. I wonder if they're overwhelmed now?
Background and key points of this discussion
Children’s cafeterias are often run by private groups, NPOs, or individuals, and in practice operators have to cover rent, utilities, and food costs largely on their own since public subsidies don’t stretch to cover everything. The figure Yasuko disclosed this time — roughly 260,000 yen for 180 meals — is likely the cafeteria’s overall operating cost, including store rent and utilities, not just food expenses. The thread split between those arguing that giving meals away for free might undermine recipients’ sense of self-reliance, and those who felt the sustained effort itself deserves credit — a tension that comes up with welfare-oriented efforts generally, not just children’s cafeterias. One easy misread is dividing the 260,000 yen total by 180 and treating that as the “cost per meal”: since the figure includes tenant rent and utilities, it has to be considered separately from food costs alone. Details on how she plans to keep funding this long-term, or how it stacks up against a pay-for-meals model, aren’t clear from the original announcement this article is based on.
※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Yasuko reports children’s cafeteria’s monthly costs — “We managed to provide 180 meals for free!!”.”
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