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