1. Preface
How to Use This Handout
- This handout comprehensively covers the necessary information for providing food and drink during the May Festival.
- The main contents include:
- Hygiene standards that must be adhered to when providing food and drink
- Standards that must be adhered to when serving alcohol
- Various registrations related to food and drink service
- Example of recipes that meet hygiene standards
- In particular, the hygiene standards for food and drink service outlined in ”2. Handling of Food and Drink” are essential for all projects that provide food and drink. Please ensure to review these thoroughly if your project is involved.
Viewing Food Hygiene at a School Festival
Behind the scenes of the numerous food and drink service at the May Festival, there lies a vast array of standards, regulations, and their adjustments.
These standards are established as a result of coordination with the Public Health Center to ensure the safe execution of the May Festival, and are indispensable for the hygienic food and drink service.
This chapter introduces the underlying principles of the hygiene standards for the 98th May Festival.
Requirements for Providing Food and Drink
In Japan, specific qualifications and procedures are required to provide food and drink. The necessary qualifications and procedures vary depending on the type of food and the business category, but the following outlines the general process and the main requirements.
1. Business License (Permission based on the Food Sanitation Act)
To operate a food-related business in Japan, a "business license" is required. This involves applying to the local government (city, ward, or town) in accordance with the Food Sanitation Act and obtaining permission. To acquire a business license, the following conditions must be met:
Facility that Meet the Hygiene Standards
The facility must meet hygiene standards. Specifically, the following are required:
- Installation of handwashing facilities
- Cleanliness of food storage and kitchen areas
- Proper drainage and ventilation systems
- Availability of necessary equipment for food hygiene (e.g., refrigerators, freezers)
Appointment of a Food Hygiene Supervisor
To obtain a business license, a "Food Hygiene Supervisor" must be appointed. This individual must possess knowledge of food hygiene and is responsible for managing hygiene within the facility.
2. Application and Confirmation of Business License
An application for a business license must be submitted to the local Public Health Center. At the same time, the food and drink service provider must consult the local Public Health Center beforehand (such as submitting service contents or floor layout), and then they apply for a license, get a facility check, pass the check, and finally the license will be confirmed.
Food and Drink Service at School Festival Stalls
The above outlines the necessary process for providing food and drink.
However, for student-run stalls at a school festival, they do not have a business license which must be based on the Food Sanitation Act. The reasons why the above process is not followed for school festival stalls are as follows:
1. Large Number of Stalls
Due to the large number of stalls, it is practically impossible to appoint a Food Hygiene Supervisor to each stall.
2. Lack of Hygienic Cooking Facilities
Since many stalls cook in outdoor tents, it is difficult to install hygienic cooking facilities or proper drainage systems.
For these reasons, food and drink service at a school festival is only made possible by submitting a "Application of Hosting Events" to the Public Health Center, and by abiding by “行事における臨時営業等の取扱い要綱” (Outline of Management for Temporary Business at Events).
Application of Hosting Events
The below is an extraction of conditions from the homepage of Environmental Hygiene Division, Food Hygiene Department of the Bunkyo City. Notification is required when the following requirements are met and a simple facility is set up to serve food to an unspecified number of people.
- Events with a public purpose such as involving the municipality, metropolitan government, national government, or resident organizations that have jurisdiction over the location of the stall
- Restaurant activities and food sales activities that do not fall under the category of business
- The number of days a stall can be open by the same vendor is limited to 5 days or less per year.
Cooking Requirements for School Festival Stalls
In addition to the aforementioned conditions, considering that students who are not usually involved in food and drink service are the ones operating the stalls, it is clear that the risk of food poisoning among visitors is higher at a school festival compared to regular restaurants.
Therefore, the cooking processes at school festival stalls must be as simple and minimal as possible.
Please ensure that you understand these principles before providing food and drink.