Until just a few years ago, shashoku — short for shain shokudō (company canteens) — were sources of convenience food, where meals was gulped down, not chewed and savored, and where the offerings were cheap but bland.
But some canteens are being rebranded as proper eateries, offering dishes that are not only cheap but also balanced, healthy and — what's most important — tasty. One company that served as a catalyst for this turnaround of shashoku is Tanita, a 90-year-old maker of weight and body-fat scales.
In 2010, Tanita published "Taishibōkei Tanita no Shain Shokudō: Gohyakukirokarorī no Manpuku Teishoku" ("The Staff Canteen at Body-Fat Scale Maker Tanita: 500-kcal Meals That Make You Full"), a recipe book of the Japanese dishes served at its canteen. That book and its sequel, also released in 2010, have sold a combined 4.8 million copies so far. It created such a buzz that in January this year the company opened a restaurant modeled after their canteen. Situated in the business district of Marunouchi in central Tokyo, Tanita Shain Shokudō (Tanita Staff Canteen) is a self-service eatery that offers just two lunch-set options at ¥800 or ¥900, one of which changes daily and the other weekly. Four months into its opening, there is still always a long line of customers, young and old, waiting to be served, even though the prices are roughly double those at most company canteens, which are subsidized by employers. In fact, to prevent lines and the restaurant getting too crowded, tickets are being issued every morning, so that customers know when they can get served and what time they should come back for lunch.