【2026 Latest】Wao Corporation Conducts Survey on 'Lunch Price Inflation and Meal Allowance Support'

Wao Corporation (headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO: Akira Uratani), which operates the corporate bento delivery and office cafeteria service "Shashoku DELI," has announced the results of its "Survey on the Reality of Lunch Price Inflation and Awareness of Meal Allowance Support," conducted among 400 office workers in the Kanto region.

The survey was conducted to understand the impact of recent price hikes on lunch costs and to assess awareness and attitudes toward the increased tax-free limit for meal allowances, which was raised from ¥3,500 to ¥7,500 per month and implemented in April 2026.

View the full report here:

https://www.shashokudeli.com/post/lunch-report-2026

Key Survey Findings

Approximately 3 out of 4 respondents (73.75%) feel financial strain from lunch expenses

About 4 in 10 (41.75%) spend ¥700 or more per lunch—making the once-common ¥500 "one-coin lunch" a thing of the past

Top lunch-related complaints are "cost (42.75%)" and "limited options (41.0%)"

Awareness of the April 2026 tax-free meal allowance increase is only 22.5%—about 80% are "uninformed or unaware of details"

Around 8 in 10 (77.25%) said they would feel more motivated to come to the office and have a more favorable impression of their company if meal allowances were provided

Detailed Survey Results

【Finding 1】 About 3 out of 4 respondents feel burdened by lunch costs

When asked, "Do you feel burdened by daily lunch expenses due to recent price hikes?", a combined 73.75% answered "strongly feel (31.5%)" or "somewhat feel (42.25%)". This highlights how inflation is directly impacting the daily lives of many professionals.

When citing these survey results, please include links to this article and the service website homepage.

【Finding 2】 About 4 in 10 spend ¥700 or more per lunch

Regarding current average lunch spending per meal, 41.75% spend ¥700 or more—combining "¥700 to under ¥1,000 (28.0%)" and "¥1,000 or more (13.75%)". This indicates that the era of affordable ¥500 lunches is fading.

【Finding 3】 Top lunch environment complaints: "cost" and "limited choices"

When asked about dissatisfaction or stress regarding their current office lunch environment (multiple responses allowed), the top issues were "lunch is expensive and burdensome on my wallet" and "few nearby options limit my choices." Following these were "convenience stores and restaurants are crowded, wasting time waiting or traveling" and "no meal allowance at all, or existing allowances are inconvenient to use." This reveals concentrated dissatisfaction across four key areas: cost, choice, time efficiency, and employee benefits.

【Finding 4】 Awareness of tax-free meal allowance increase is only 22.5%

Regarding the April 2026 policy raising the tax-free meal allowance limit from ¥3,500 to ¥7,500 per month, only 22.5% of respondents said they were aware of it. A significant 77.5% lack detailed knowledge. Although this policy—dubbed the "third wage hike" for increasing take-home pay without raising social insurance or income tax—is gaining attention, urgent outreach to both companies and employees is needed.

【Finding 5】 Around 8 in 10 say meal allowances would boost motivation and company好感度

When asked, "If your company provided a ¥7,500 monthly meal allowance (about ¥350 per day), would your motivation to come to the office and your favorable impression of the company increase?", a combined 77.25% responded "strongly increase (38.0%)" or "somewhat increase (39.25%)". This quantitatively confirms that meal allowances directly enhance employee engagement.

Survey Overview

Item

Details

Survey Name

Survey on the Reality of Lunch Price Inflation and Awareness of Meal Allowance Support

Survey Organization

Freeasy

Target Respondents

Office workers in the Kanto region (all industries)

Valid Responses

400

Survey Period

June 2026

Survey Method

Online survey

About "Shashoku DELI"

"Shashoku DELI" is an employee benefits service that utilizes vacant office space to provide daily changing bento meals through face-to-face sales by on-site staff. It helps improve employees' lunch environments and contributes to creating a better workplace, all while minimizing equipment investment and inventory management burdens.

Features

Over 30 daily menu options, including Japanese, Western, Chinese, and limited-time dishes

Operational efficiency through on-site sales staff (full support from ordering to sales and cleanup)

No initial equipment investment required, enabling smooth implementation

Meals starting from ¥350 (employee satisfaction can be enhanced through corporate subsidies)

"Shashoku DELI" Service Website

About Wao Corporation

Wao Corporation plans and operates services focused on workplace meal support, aiming to enhance employee well-being and the value of corporate benefit programs.

Leveraging face-to-face bento sales and installation-based systems, the company specializes in easy implementation, reduced operational burden, and user experience design that encourages continued use.

Main Businesses

Corporate cafeteria bento service "Shashoku DELI"

Bento delivery website for corporations and organizations "Obentō DELI"

Takeout-only food court "Yatai DELI"

Catering and party platter website "Hakobu Catering"

Company Overview

Company Name: Wao Corporation

Representative: CEO Akira Uratani

Address: 11F, Shibuya 363 Shimizu Building, 3-6-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002

Founded: September 2003

Business Activities: Planning, operation, and sales of "Shashoku DELI," "Obentō DELI," "Yatai DELI," and "Hakobu Catering"

Capital: ¥100 million

Website: Wao Corporation