Bento

A balanced bento follows the same logic as a traditional meal: rice as the base, a protein, and several small vegetable dishes, with contrasts of colour, texture and taste. Because it is eaten at room temperature, often hours later, cooks favour foods that taste good cold and keep well, such as grilled salted fish, rolled omelette, simmered vegetables, pickles and rice seasoned with vinegar or umeboshi.

A common guideline is to fill about half the box with rice and the rest with side dishes, packing everything tightly so it does not shift. Colours matter: red, yellow, green, black and white are often combined for an appetising look.

Some bento styles have become fixed types found across the country, in shops, restaurants and home kitchens.

The first ekiben is commonly dated to 1885 at Utsunomiya Station, where rice balls with pickled radish wrapped in bamboo bark were sold to passengers. As the railway network grew, stations competed with local specialities, and ekiben became part of the pleasure of rail travel. Many use regional ingredients and distinctive containers, and some have been sold for over a century.

Ekiben are sold at station kiosks and dedicated shops, and large terminals such as Tokyo Station stock bento from across the country. Eating on long-distance trains such as the Shinkansen is normal; on crowded commuter and local trains it is generally avoided.

Many Japanese take a home-made bento to school or work, and preparing one is part of daily family routine. Nursery and kindergarten children often bring bento that parents decorate with care, and in the 2000s kyaraben, 'character bento' shaped into animals or cartoon figures, became a hobby widely shared online.

The box itself is part of the culture: from traditional bentwood magewappa of cedar or cypress to lacquer, aluminium and modern plastic boxes with separate compartments. A bento is usually wrapped in a cloth (furoshiki or bento tsutsumi) and carried with chopsticks in their own case.