“Bentō”: A Feast for the Eyes and Stomach

“Bentō”: A Feast for the Eyes and Stomach

Bentō, or box meals, contain a fine balance of rice and other dishes, carefully thought out down to the colors and layout of the food. The bentō eaten in Japan include homemade meals, those sold at convenience stores, and the luxurious variety offered by upscale Japanese restaurants. Explore the fun of bentō for insights into Japanese food culture.

Power Lunch at Japanese Schools

School lunch in Japan is about more than just providing kids with a nutritious and tasty meal; another aim is to foster healthy eating habits that will benefit them throughout life. An American editor at Nippon.com traveled to Hirayama Elementary School, on the western edge of Tokyo, to learn more about school lunch in Japan.
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The Local Flavors of Popular Railway Box Meals

Ekiben are box meals made with ingredients and packages particular to a certain train station, railway line, or region. Thousands of varieties are sold across Japan. Eating ekiben is part of the fun of railway travel. Here we look at the five most popular ekiben in Japan.
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My “Bentō,” My Pride

Many people use their blogs to report on the various bentō that they make from day to day. We surveyed popular bentō bloggers about their meal-making secrets.
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Your Own Japanese-Style Box Meal

Bentō are an important part of daily dining for millions of Japanese students and workers, and a major industry has grown up around the tools and methods used for their creation. Below we introduce some playful ingredients for box meals, along with a handful of the special implements invented to make their creation a snap.
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