[Interview: Part 2] A digital approach to tackle child hunger in Japan with dignity

JStories – Ryosuke Imai once focused on bringing together the right notes to move audiences as a renowned music producer. Today, he applies the same precision to a different challenge: ensuring that children in need do not fall through the cracks. 

Through his proprietary digital platform, Gochimeshi, Imai enables people to gift restaurant meals through digital vouchers—an approach now being used to support as many as 110,000 children from low-income households across Japan. The platform has already attracted major restaurant partners, including beef bowl chain Yoshinoya, opening new avenues for digitally powered donations and charitable activity. 

According to the OECD’s relative poverty standards, one in nine children in Japan lives in poverty. Among single-parent households, the poverty rate reaches as high as 45 percent. “These families are genuinely struggling to feed their children properly,” Imai says.

Paradoxically, summer vacation—meant to be a carefree season— can be a real struggle for children from poverty-stricken families. For many of them, daily school lunches are their only nutritionally balanced meals. When break begins, that safety net disappears. Once school resumes, teachers see children returning underweight and malnourished, Imai says.

At the same time, Japan grapples with a serious food waste problem as large amounts of food and ingredients are thrown away daily. Imai believes digital technology can help address this imbalance between food poverty and waste, enabling children to consistently access nutritious meals. “I want to use the power of digital tools to solve even a small part of this problem,” he says.

In recent years, volunteer-run community meal programs known as “kodomo shokudo” (children’s cafeterias) have proliferated across Japan. Often organized by temples, restaurants, or local parents via community centers or private homes, these initiatives provide meals for low-income and single-parent households.

Imai says these are wonderful efforts, but there are several concerns.

Questions regarding safety and consistency remain. Are meals prepared by licensed cooks? Are hygiene and fire-safety standards properly managed? And can a cafeteria that operates just once a month truly meet the needs of hungry children?

Children’s cafeterias tend to have limited menus, offering little choice, while scheduling can also be a challenge. “The cafeteria isn’t necessarily open on days when a mother is especially busy at work,” Imai says.

His greatest concern, however, is social stigma. Attending a children’s cafeteria can inadvertently show that a family is struggling financially. Once children stop going due to shame or teasing, support no longer reaches those who need it most.

“Children who go to a kodomo shokudo may be told at school, ‘So you go to the children’s cafeteria,’ or ‘Your family must be poor,’” Imai says. “They feel bullied, stop going, and the very children we most want to help disappear from the system.”

As an alternative, Imai launched a child-focused version of the Gochimeshi service to destigmatize poverty: Kodomo Gochimeshi. The number of participating restaurants continues to grow, he says. Through the service, children receive digital meal vouchers on their smartphones and dine with their families at partner restaurants.

“If you’re watching from about 50 centimeters away, it just looks like a family eating out and paying cashlessly,” Imai explains. “That consideration protects users’ dignity.”

The benefits extend beyond discretion. Children can eat daily—not just once a month—and choose from a wide range of menu options. “We can respond to requests like wanting children to eat more vegetables, or using the service on days when a mother’s work schedule is especially demanding,” he says.

Some local governments now use “furusato nozei” (hometown tax donations) to fund restaurant-based meal support through Gochimeshi. “There are already precedents,” Imai says. “If local officials show interest, we can propose various models.”

Kodomo Gochimeshi now supports 110,000 registered children, funded through donations and partnerships with participating restaurants. Yoshinoya alone provided 10,000 meals in 2024 and expanded that support to 100,000 meals after one year. Major convenience store chains, udon groups, and fast-food restaurants have also joined the initiative.

“For restaurants, it's a social contribution—but it’s also marketing,” Imai explains. “They deliver a message of support directly to children, who may later grow up to support those companies. Communicating corporate values directly to the next generation is extremely effective marketing.”

Japan has a long-standing business philosophy known as “sanpo yoshi”—“good for the seller, good for the buyer, and good for society.” Imai argues that all  new businesses must be designed to benefit all stakeholders. “Otherwise, they won’t move forward.”

In Gochimeshi’s case, corporate sponsors can treat donations as advertising expenses, with their logos displayed on digital tickets. Some large restaurant chains go further by providing tens of thousands of meals at their own cost.

“Some companies feel uncomfortable profiting from donated money, so they choose to provide meals at their own expense,” Imai notes. “Restaurants are becoming both service providers and donors.”

As remote work became widespread after COVID-19, Imai developed Bizmeshi, a business-oriented version of Gochimeshi designed as a new form of employee benefits.

Even when companies provide cafeterias for staff, those who spend much of their time outside the office often cannot use them. Many firms maintain cafeterias at their Tokyo headquarters but not at regional offices, creating a sense of inequality.

Bizmeshi addresses that gap by allowing employees to use participating restaurants as part of their benefits package, ensuring fairness regardless of location or role.

Maintaining an in-house cafeteria requires significant resources, from space and equipment to vendor contracts, hygiene management, and safety oversight. “In many cases, using nearby restaurants is actually more efficient,” Imai says. The approach can also support local economies and strengthen ties between companies and communities.

Imai describes Gochimeshi as a business that visualizes a “pay-it-forward economy”—one in which acts of kindness and generosity ripple across generations.

To scale that model, digital technology is essential, he says. “Building systems for the future can’t rely only on human effort. By using technologies like blockchain, we can advance food DX, improve work UX, and help rebalance an unequal society. That’s my mission—for the sake of children’s futures.”

Reflecting on his transition from music producer to social entrepreneur, Imai says, “I’ve met incredible people I never would have encountered if I’d stayed only in music. That alone makes it worthwhile.”

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: persevere, even in the face of doubt .

“In business, circumstances can change overnight,” he says. “A song once dismissed can suddenly resonate with the times. When the world finally catches up with your idea, everything can flip instantly—like an Othello board.

“I love the term ‘game changer,’” Imai adds. “Witnessing moments when people’s values suddenly shift gives me immense pride in my life. Those moments are out there, waiting.”

Written by Toshi Maeda | JStories

Edited by Kwee Chuan Yeo | JStories

Top photo: Photo courtesy of Gigi

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