The education ministry issued an urgent notice Tuesday to boards of education nationwide requesting them to recheck their guidance manuals to prevent accidents during school lunch, following the death of a 7-year-old boy from choking.
The first grader in the city of Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture, is believed to have choked on a boiled quail egg contained in miso oden fish cake stew served for school lunch.
According to the local board of education, about five minutes after lunch started at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, the boy got up from his seat and made a gesture like he was going to vomit. The homeroom teacher and school nurse hit the boy on the back to help him, but nothing came out of his mouth.