Due to the sudden closure of many schools across Japan, a surplus of school lunch bread rolls, intended for student meals, was left unused, leading to mass sales in an attempt to prevent food waste. The unexpected halt in educational activities has led to bulk school lunch rolls being sold at a reduced price in several stores around the country. The community is encouraged to participate and help alleviate the situation.

In Japan, keeping food waste to a minimum is a societal value ingrained in many aspects of their culture, and efforts to reduce waste amid an emergency are taken seriously. These bread rolls, typically associated with school meals in Japan, are popular among many consumers. Hence, the general public's interest in reducing food waste often aligns with economic benefits.

In the US and EU, surplus food is often donated to food banks to support local communities facing food insecurity. However, in this scenario with school lunch buns, unexpected sales at reduced prices are comparable to tactics used by bakeries in the western world to sell "day-old" baked goods.