Approximately 60% of Children Feel Guilty About Receiving Cash Allowances!? Yamachiku Announces Survey on the Reality of "Okurimono" Between Parents and Children
Yamachiku announced the results of a survey on "okurimono" (care packages/allowances) between parents and children, highlighting a discrepancy between parental affection and children's needs. While many children feel guilty about cash, material care packages are received positively. Based on these findings, Yamachiku collaborated with Kyushu food manufacturers to develop the "Okaeri BOX," a food gift, which goes on sale today, May 13, 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 13, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 12:34 (1h 2m after Collected)
Yamachiku Co., Ltd. (Nankan-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture, hereinafter "Yamachiku") conducted a survey to clarify the awareness and reality of "okurimono" (care packages/allowances) between parents and children when children start living alone. The survey revealed that while there is a discrepancy between the "okurimono" sent by parents with the desire to support their children and what children "truly want," the affection embedded in the "okurimono" itself certainly reaches the children's hearts. The key to deepening parent-child bonds was found to be the balance between the "contents" and the "feelings."
Based on these survey results, Yamachiku collaborated with food manufacturers in Kyushu to develop the "Okaeri BOX," conceptualized as "the best care package thought of by a chopstick maker." Sales will begin on May 13, 2026.
■ Survey Implementation Overview
Survey Theme: Awareness Survey on the Reality of "Okurimono" Accompanying Children's Independent Living
Survey Method: Internet survey
Implementation Period: February 2026
Survey Cooperation: HONE Co., Ltd.
Target Audience:
[For Adults]
Target: Men and women aged 40-69 nationwide in Japan, with children
Sample Size: 2,000 people
Number of Responses for this Survey: 700 people
Implementation Period: January 2026
[For Children]
Target: Men and women aged 18-35 nationwide in Japan
Sample Size: 2,000 people
Number of Responses for this Survey: 399 people
*When using the survey results from this release, please clearly state: [Survey by Yamachiku Co., Ltd.]
■ Survey Results Summary
[POINT 1] Approximately 70% of Parents Worry About Their Children's Meals and Lifestyles
67.6% of parents living separately from their children worry about their children's "meals and lifestyles." "Health" was the most common concern in the past month at 41.3%, followed by "meals and nutrition" at 38.3%. 28.8% of parents felt "anxious about whether they are eating properly" when imagining their children eating alone.
[POINT 2] The Most Welcomed Item by Children is "Rice." Voices of "Guilt Over Cash" Also Heard
The most common items sent by parents were rice (46.1%), followed by retort foods (44.9%), sweets (43.6%), and daily necessities (43.0%). In the children's survey, 65.1% felt "happy and grateful" when receiving rice, 58.4% felt "cared for," and 56.0% felt "it supports their life and brings peace of mind," indicating a strong positive emotional connection with material care packages. In contrast, when receiving cash (pocket money), 58.8% felt "complex emotions as if they haven't become independent," and 41.2% felt "apology and awkwardness," revealing contrasting emotions compared to material support.
[POINT 3] Early Care Packages for Independent Living Determine Future Eating Habits and Food Culture Awareness
The rate of "almost daily self-cooking" among those currently receiving care packages was high at 48.5%, while the rate of "hardly ever self-cooking" among those with no care package experience was notably high at 38.3%, indicating a correlation between the presence of care packages and self-cooking habits. Furthermore, 71.9% of those who "almost daily self-cooked" at the beginning of their independent living continue to self-cook, and 89.1% of those who "never self-cooked" still "hardly ever" do so. Eating habits formed early in independent living tend to be strongly maintained thereafter. Also, among those who cook frequently, 54.4% (18.1 percentage points higher than the overall average of 36.3%) say "itadakimasu" every time, even when eating alone, while 63.0% of those with no self-cooking experience "do not say it." A similar difference was observed in the presence or absence of care package experience: only 5.8% of those with care packages "do not say it," compared to 66.3% of those without. This suggests a strong correlation between eating habits and food culture awareness, and that creating opportunities for food early in independent living is effective in forming long-term eating habits.
■ Background of Survey Implementation
Background of Survey Implementation
In August 2025, Yamachiku Co., Ltd. produced and released a short film depicting parent-child love with the theme "Itadakimasu." An English subtitled version was also released, surpassing 250,000 views worldwide within a week of its release. The universal themes of "dining table" and "family" resonated across borders.
The scene that most symbolized parent-child love in the film was when parents sent "okurimono" to their children living far away. "I want them to eat delicious food," "I want them to be healthy" — the unspoken parental love delivered to the children moved many viewers to tears.
Starting from the question, "What is a care package that truly makes children happy?" a survey was conducted for both parents and children. With the cooperation of monitor households and educational institutions, the "Okaeri BOX" was developed.
Cooperating Institutions
Cooperating Universities: Kyoto Prefectural University, Sojo University, etc. (in alphabetical order)
This survey was conducted in cooperation with multiple universities, including the above, with the participation of students for the "children's" survey.
Keywords:
Based on these survey results, Yamachiku collaborated with food manufacturers in Kyushu to develop the "Okaeri BOX," conceptualized as "the best care package thought of by a chopstick maker." Sales will begin on May 13, 2026.
■ Survey Implementation Overview
Survey Theme: Awareness Survey on the Reality of "Okurimono" Accompanying Children's Independent Living
Survey Method: Internet survey
Implementation Period: February 2026
Survey Cooperation: HONE Co., Ltd.
Target Audience:
[For Adults]
Target: Men and women aged 40-69 nationwide in Japan, with children
Sample Size: 2,000 people
Number of Responses for this Survey: 700 people
Implementation Period: January 2026
[For Children]
Target: Men and women aged 18-35 nationwide in Japan
Sample Size: 2,000 people
Number of Responses for this Survey: 399 people
*When using the survey results from this release, please clearly state: [Survey by Yamachiku Co., Ltd.]
■ Survey Results Summary
[POINT 1] Approximately 70% of Parents Worry About Their Children's Meals and Lifestyles
67.6% of parents living separately from their children worry about their children's "meals and lifestyles." "Health" was the most common concern in the past month at 41.3%, followed by "meals and nutrition" at 38.3%. 28.8% of parents felt "anxious about whether they are eating properly" when imagining their children eating alone.
[POINT 2] The Most Welcomed Item by Children is "Rice." Voices of "Guilt Over Cash" Also Heard
The most common items sent by parents were rice (46.1%), followed by retort foods (44.9%), sweets (43.6%), and daily necessities (43.0%). In the children's survey, 65.1% felt "happy and grateful" when receiving rice, 58.4% felt "cared for," and 56.0% felt "it supports their life and brings peace of mind," indicating a strong positive emotional connection with material care packages. In contrast, when receiving cash (pocket money), 58.8% felt "complex emotions as if they haven't become independent," and 41.2% felt "apology and awkwardness," revealing contrasting emotions compared to material support.
[POINT 3] Early Care Packages for Independent Living Determine Future Eating Habits and Food Culture Awareness
The rate of "almost daily self-cooking" among those currently receiving care packages was high at 48.5%, while the rate of "hardly ever self-cooking" among those with no care package experience was notably high at 38.3%, indicating a correlation between the presence of care packages and self-cooking habits. Furthermore, 71.9% of those who "almost daily self-cooked" at the beginning of their independent living continue to self-cook, and 89.1% of those who "never self-cooked" still "hardly ever" do so. Eating habits formed early in independent living tend to be strongly maintained thereafter. Also, among those who cook frequently, 54.4% (18.1 percentage points higher than the overall average of 36.3%) say "itadakimasu" every time, even when eating alone, while 63.0% of those with no self-cooking experience "do not say it." A similar difference was observed in the presence or absence of care package experience: only 5.8% of those with care packages "do not say it," compared to 66.3% of those without. This suggests a strong correlation between eating habits and food culture awareness, and that creating opportunities for food early in independent living is effective in forming long-term eating habits.
■ Background of Survey Implementation
Background of Survey Implementation
In August 2025, Yamachiku Co., Ltd. produced and released a short film depicting parent-child love with the theme "Itadakimasu." An English subtitled version was also released, surpassing 250,000 views worldwide within a week of its release. The universal themes of "dining table" and "family" resonated across borders.
The scene that most symbolized parent-child love in the film was when parents sent "okurimono" to their children living far away. "I want them to eat delicious food," "I want them to be healthy" — the unspoken parental love delivered to the children moved many viewers to tears.
Starting from the question, "What is a care package that truly makes children happy?" a survey was conducted for both parents and children. With the cooperation of monitor households and educational institutions, the "Okaeri BOX" was developed.
Cooperating Institutions
Cooperating Universities: Kyoto Prefectural University, Sojo University, etc. (in alphabetical order)
This survey was conducted in cooperation with multiple universities, including the above, with the participation of students for the "children's" survey.
Keywords: