In an unprecedented piece of school lunch policy for Japan, four schools in Mimasaka, Okayama are serving soups containing wild boar and deer as a part of their lunch program. It would seem the scheme is intended to both teach children about local food sources and decrease a “nuisance” to the local environment.
From Feb 3, one kindergarten, two elementary schools, and one junior high school will be using "jibie" in lunches. In Japanese, the word "jibie" comes for the French word for “game” meat, "gibier." The meat comes courtesy of a recently opened processing facility in the city. It was started in June of last year as a way for the high number of trapped deer and boar to be used.
In 2012 it was estimated that around 48 million yen worth of damage was done to the city’s agriculture and wildlife industries from these animals. As a result, 3,392 deer and 811 boars were trapped. From June to December last year, 746 deer and 176 boars were accepted into the meat processing plant, well ahead of their 600 head target for that period.
These events resulted in the 27 children in Ohara Elementary eating a delicious feast of soup with plentiful amounts of boar’s leg meat served in a soup rich in carrots, tofu, and green onion.
Source: Sanyo Shimbun
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Hunting: The newest growing hobby of Japanese women -- The Best Way to Kill Bambi: An Interview with One of Japan’s Few Gun Owners -- Miyazaki Prefecture woman shot by hunter after being mistaken for a wild boar
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23 Comments
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CraigHicks
If these game animals are living around humans I would be a little worried if the boars are eating out of garbage dumps, or the deer are eating plants covered with herbicides/pesticides. On the other hand I know that factory farmed pigs will be fed mountains of out of date bread still wrapped in plastic, so maybe it's no worse.
jpntdytmrow
Well, I have eaten it. Neighbors share if it is killed on their land. A trap is set in a circle of say, sweet potatoes. The boar go in and get their leg trapped. I have heard them scream in the night. The next morning, the hunter will find it, shoot it between the eyes and cut the leg. That is the way it is done. There used to be groups of hunters with teams of hounds walking the forests and shooting one or two at a time. Housing increased and the hounds were replaced by GPS on the traps that notify a hunter of a trapped boar. We took in one abandoned hound and had her for over 10 years. Darling dog. There were a few years when we saw boar and their offspring regularly on the streets. Don't see them much anymore. The babies, called uribo, ate our neighbor's persimmons. Don't know about having wild game for school lunches. Seems like it should be studied more. One boar could way about 300 kg. So, it doesn't seem like a mass culling would be necessary. hmmmm.....
Roten
Wild boar has in the past been known as yama no kujira, or mountain whale. This was likely a Buddhist nomenclature justifying eating of boar by a society that was vegetarian (fish and fowl OK to eat). Likewise, rabbit was a perfectly fine food as it 'flies' and the counter for rabbits is the same as for other birds even today. Little known facts of Japanese culture.
ReformedBasher
@Timbo
It's pretty good. Lots of stores selling it in the country, and some onsen and yamagoya, etc serve it too.
Don't care much for whale meat. Was surprised by how common kangaroo meat has become back home. Kangaroo sausages are quite tasty.
AngieStars
I agree with YuriOtani, it sounds better than the whale meat they constantly serve here in Nagasaki Pref for kyuushoku.
YuriOtani
Sounds better than eating whale meat! Which contains many different poisons including mercury and PCB's.
Utrack
If J Govt had the manliness of the Belarus Govt we would know the radioactivity readings because there would be tests to ascertain what they are. I just hope the children will be okay eating wild game meats because in a radioactive free society it is much healthier to eat wild game. Wake up J Govt and STOP Hiding the facts because you do not look good for the hiding.
Melissa Baker-Lhermitte
@JohnBecker
Here John I will give you a Link to the study of the spread of contamination across Japan and Low and Behold Okayama is Listed along with every other Prefecture and of course the MEXT 1 meter estimate (to hard to give an ACTUAL 1 meter reading in a Helicopter).
Fukushima nuclear disaster-implications for Japanese agriculture and food chains written by: Hrabrin Bachev and Fusao Ito Institute of Agricultural Economics, Soa, Tohoku University, Sendai
On Page 8 you will find Okayama and the estimated Radioactivity Reading
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/49462/1/MPRA_paper_49462.pdf
Utrack
@JohnBecker
Radioactiive Pollen that travels for miles and lands on forest floors DO NOT CARE ABOUT MAPS. Do some research
NathalieB
Sort of reminds me of a sick Christmas card I got one year - Mr & Mrs Claus in the foreground and in the background Rudolph witha wooden leg, and Santa is saying "Ill ask you one last time woman - where did you get the venison for these sandwiches??!"
I have no problem with eating deer or boar that has been killed humanely. But getting caught in traps leads me to think possibly not. And I love the line "accepted into the meat processing plant" - like it is some kind of exclusive club?!
JohnBecker
This is happening in Okayama. Have you ever looked at a map of Japan?
Serrano
"a delicious feast of soup with plentiful amounts of boar’s leg meat served in a soup rich in carrots, tofu, and green onion."
Sounds scrumptious!
When are they going to add squirrel soup to the menu?
WilliB
Not sure would call those pests but sure, if there is an overpopulation that needs to be culled, of course the meat should be eaten. It is surely going to be healthier that that from factory style farming.
Utrack
As long as the game meat is tested for radioactivity and deemed safe for children. Only then would I say it is a good idea.
SimondB
Beats what we used to have for school lunch back in my day. Still can't forget those cold mash spuds served with ice cream scoops.
nath
I love deer. Never eaten boar, but I'd like to.
nath
I agree those meats are tasty and good that they are used and not wasted.
timbo
Good idea. Deer meat is delicious! Wild boar is probably good, too. Cue the predictable whining and grumbling from the foreign community.
CrazyJoe
It may be the year of the horse in Japan in general but it's the year of the boar in Okayama? Those pesky and foraging wild boars and deer eating up crops is sure a problem.
cleo
Sets alarms ringing with me too. Doesn't sound like it's a quick, easy painless death. How long do the animals have to spend 'trapped' before someone bothers to come along?
What kind of traps are we talking about?
SenseNotSoCommon
This makes a lot of sense. Overpopulation damages forests, and the carcasses are being recovered. Wild boar and venison are tasty and healthy.
Sugar Bowl
If deer and boar had an economy, I wonder what the estimated damage done by humans would be to them?
Anyway, it always seems to me that damage estimates are way over-inflated.
Trapped? What kind of trap we talking about here? I hope they are not using those nasty foothold traps.
Cricky
If you are going to eat meat then wild meat is best for many reasons, it tastes much better for a start, the animal was not killed for sport but consumed, people excercise and join together to get food. It's a great idea. Humans from day 1 have been doing this...survival. Mass farming has made us forget many skills.