What's Inside a Bento Box?

A bento is a portable meal of rice and side dishes packed into a small container. A variety of bento are made for different settings, such as school or work lunches, leisurely outings, or trips to the theater.

The Makunouchi bento was developed in the Edo period (1603-1868 CE). The name derives from the fact that it was eaten between the acts of kabuki performances.

An innovative new type of boxed meal known as the Shokado bento was developed in Osaka at the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989 CE) by the chef Yuki Teiichi. A Shokado bento has four different types of dishes, arranged into four sections of a lacquered bento box. This type of bento condenses the traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, known as kaiseki ryori, into one box.

Ekiben (station bento) are boxed meals sold in railroad stations for the purpose of eating on the train. These are sold across Japan from north to south, but the flavors of ekiben vary wide depending on the locality. Enjoying ekiben meals that are available only in specific places is one of the special pleasures of train travel in Japan.

Kamameshi (potted rice) is a kind of ekiben made in Gunma. This warm, home-style bento is traditionally cooked and served in an earthenware pot produced in the kilns of Mashiko. When it was first introduced in 1958, Kamameshi was considered a revolutionary bento and became wildly popular.

Masuzushi is a kind of Oshi-sushi (pressed sushi) made of vinegared trout salmon and vinegared rice, and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is a local delicacy of Toyama prefecture.

For this bento, rice is cooked with crab and then arranged with crab meat and claws. It comes in a fun container shaped like a crab.

For this bento, sea bream (tai) caught in the sea near Wakasa Bay is lightly sprinkled with salt and then combined with vinegared sushi rice.