Choosing a Japanese Bento Box: All You Need to Know

by Sydney Seekford & Cath Lealand | CRAFT, LIFESTYLE

No matter where you are in Japan, the options for an affordable lunch are almost endless; sushi, ramen, even Japanese barbeque! You can easily find yourself eating lunch at a different restaurant every single day of the week! However, for many Japanese people, from school children to politicians, the bento box, a Japanese-style lunchbox, is a convenient way to enjoy their midday meal.

We will pop open the lid on the long history of the Japanese bento box, how bento boxes are made, and where you can buy one. Most importantly, we will reveal how you can make the perfect bento lunch, and you can see for yourself why the bento box is popular with both young and old.

Contents

1. What is a bento box?
2. The history of the bento box
3. How are bento boxes made?
4. Why use wooden bento?
5. What are bento boxes used for?
6. What’s in a Japanese bento box?
7. What are the main types of Japanese bento?
8. Unique bento boxes
9. How to make your own bento lunch?

1. What is a Bento Box?

Japanese Cedar Bento Box, available at Japan Objects Store

A bento is a single-portion boxed meal usually composed of a carb (usually rice or noodles), a protein (usually meat or fish), and an assortment of pickled or cooked vegetables. The word is thought to be derived from the Chinese Southern Song Dynasty term Biandang, meaning convenient. However, it may also be a shortened version of a phrase used to describe the mass lunches handed out to soldiers during the warring states period in Japan.

Regardless of its linguistic origins, the bento has become a symbol of Japanese culture and ideals since it was first popularized in the 13th century. Bento boxes offer balanced nutrition and portability, ideal for both school children and the workforce. Since long ago, these hand-made lunches have been Japan’s source of afternoon energy. And, of course, that convenience comes courtesy of the perfectly designed and crafted bento box.

2. The History of the Bento Box

© 18th Century Lacquer Wooden Bento Box with Gold and Silver Inlay

The word bento was not used during the early days of the lunchbox’s conception. During the Heian period, in the 8th century, portable rice balls were called tonjiki and served as the first recorded example of a Japanese “bento” lunch. Starting in the Kamakura Period, around 1185, the term hoshi-ii, or “dried meal”, consisted of pre-cooked and then dried rice carried in a small container while traveling. It wasn’t until 1568, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, that wooden lacquered boxes were specially produced to create the bento that we know today.

During the Edo period, from 1603-1867, the bento became an everyday meal, with ingredients and serving style varying depending on social class and occupation. Travelers and sightseers would carry koshibento (waist bento), which often included riceballs wrapped in bamboo leaves. For special events such as hanami (flower viewing parties), large, layered bento were prepared to celebrate the occasion and shared by a group.

© annintofu / Creative Commons, Shinkansen Bento

In the twentieth century, aluminum and plastic began to be used in bento preparation, paving the way for the microwavable konbini bento (convenience store bento), ekiben (train station bento) and hokaben (take-out bento).

3. How Are Bento Boxes Made?

Making Cedar Bento Boxes, available at Japan Objects Store

Before modern materials, bento boxes were hand-carved from wood. They were lacquered and designed by craftsmen; the more lavish the box, the more expensive the cost. The two fine examples from the collection of the Shinjuku Historical Museum show just how lavish they can be! The century-old tower-shaped bento on the left is inlaid with gold in fine lacquer.

The 19th century gourd-shaped bento features a bottle for drinks on the lefthand section. The combination of food and beverage vessels makes it likely that this bento would have been used much like a Western picnic basket for events like hanami.

Craftsmen in the small village of Ikawa in Shizuoka prefecture, continue to produce traditional lacquered bento, known as Ikawa mempa. In a process that takes a number of months, Japanese cypress is shaped, dried and lacquered with a mixture of red iron dioxide and persimmon powder a minimum of three times. The time-consuming construction process results in a rich, glossy bento box that reflects several of Japan’s artisan industries in one precious item. (Find out All You Need to Know About Japanese Lacquer).

Now, modern manufacturing makes plastic, glass, and disposable bento boxes commonplace. Molds are used to produce high-quantities of your favorite lunch containers, and original designs are fitted to each one. The plastic bento are decorated using a specialized paint gun, whilst screen-printing is used for more intricate patterns and illustrations. Screen-printing is used for more intricate patterns and illustrations. Stencils allow for flat or round boxes and sharp edges to be beautifully embossed.

While plastic bento have become the most commonplace, wood and bamboo boxes can provide a greener alternative for eco-conscious lunch-makers. Maruge-wappa bento boxes are made by bending thin sheets of cedar or cypress into rounded bento boxes. Their form is similar to the lacquered cousins, but Wappa boxes keep their natural color and finish. The simple design makes them perfect for a casual weekday lunch, but also allows the user to appreciate the item as time goes by. Cedar wood patinas with age and use, much like a seasoned skillet.

Ajiro, or woven bento, are another natural alternative. Made from slivers of bamboo woven into a wicker basket-like shape, these whimsical bento boxes have been one of the Taketora group’s main products since its foundation in the late 1800s. Used with a liner or protective covering, Ajiro are lightweight and biodegradable. Some of the world’s best bento boxes are manufactured by Hakoya, founded in the Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan. The boxes are then hand-packed and shipped all over the world, to make lunch more convenient

4. Why Use Wooden Bento?

Although lacquerware plays an important role in the bento box’s history, the natural properties of Japan’s widespread cedar wood are partly to thank for the object’s longevity. Cedar, called sugi in Japanese, is known for its climate-controlling properties that can help wick moisture and maintain a stable temperature within the box.

Cedar has been a part of Japan’s food culture for centuries, in part because it combines many essential elements of Japanese philosophy in one material. Many of Japan’s top sushi and kaiseki counters are even made from single planks of cedar. As it ages, cedar is seasoned, taking on oils and patina for a one-of-a-kind character that grows with its user. Its mild antiseptic and antifungal properties, earthy fragrance, and longevity makes it a popular construction material for food-ware.

Wappa bento boxes, made of softened, bent, and sealed cedar, have continued to develop with consumers' needs. Their rounded forms have inspired tin and plastic bento boxes, but they have also developed into squared-off and cornered versions for easy storage with the advent of new technology.

The ohitsu is a traditional cedar holding container for cooked rice. These boxes make use of the wood’s water absorption properties to keep rice fluffy and fresh long after cooking, and are still used today in homes and restaurants. Thanks to their utilitarian nature and sleek design, cedar ohitsu boxes have even been reimagined into their own form of portable bento.

5. What Are Bento Boxes Used For?

© MIKI Yoshihito / Creative Commons, Mario Bento Box

In Japan, parents often make bento for their children during their early school years in areas where school lunch isn’t readily available. It can be a laborious and daunting task, so prep work is often done the night before. Presentation has always been a big part of Japanese meals, and a child’s lunch often says something about their social standing and home life, leading to increased social pressure for some families. Homemakers – wives and mothers – may put extra care into a day’s bento to help students or husbands get ahead in their own social spheres.

© Satoru Abe, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Fast-food style bento are less glamorous in appearance, but with a price tag often under ¥1000, a bento box can’t be beaten, especially on a budget. Modern bento can even be purchased streetside or as take-out from restaurants at a reduced price.

Photographer Satoru Abe documents the richness and variety of bento lunches in his photoseries Nippon Cha Cha Cha. The photo above shows the tightly packed and regimented meal of a sailor in the Maritime Defense Force.

6. What’s in a Japanese Bento Box?

Most importantly, bento provide the most nutrition in the most compact and appealing format possible. For many, homemade bento is significantly cheaper than eating out. Even for individuals who don’t cook, made-for-bento freezer packs provide small portions of classic bento staples that can easily be packed and thawed in time for lunch. Balance is key, and color is said to be one of the most important elements of a good bento.

The creation of every bento, whether mass-produced or homemade, is relatively the same. Using a sectioned container as the base, bento hold a balanced meal of carbs, protein, vegetables, and fruits. Carbs take up the greatest portion, and fruits and vegetables the least. Usually, one dish in each of the following colors is included: red or orange, yellow, green, white, and black.

A variety of textures and flavors make for a great bento. Each bite should be its own unique experience. Modern bento boxes are a rare place where even visitors can experience the home-cooked taste of Japan. Rustic dishes, such as sesame spinach, sweet simmered root vegetables, and old-fashioned pickles, are still common in bento, even though they are often missing from restaurant menus. Retro Japanese foods such as omelets, Salisbury steaks, and fried fishcakes that represent post-war Japan can be rediscovered in bento

Japanese Cedar Bento Boxes, available at Japan Objects Store

Hinomaru bento, which look like the Japanese flag, has become an iconic symbol of lunchtime for the Japanese people. A version of it even appears in world-renowned Ghibli films, where the dish features a split design of sides and perfectly white rice with a single pickled plum in the middle.

Bento are so important to daily life in Japan that rice growers even take them into account when developing new strains. Rice that sticks together well and has a good flavor at room temperature is considered ideal. Yumepirika, milky green, and tsuyahime are a few examples of ideal bento-rice.

7. What are the Main Types of Japanese Bento?

There are numerous types of bento to enjoy, with both the form of bento box itself and contents varying by occasion, season, and even the intended consumer.

The makunouchi (between-act) bento is one of the most common. It is a two-section box that can be found in convenience stores, markets, and department shops. One side contains rice, while the other holds an assortment of colorful side dishes. Homemade bento also tend to take this form, and these offer the most flexible patterns for creativity and portioning.

© Gamene / Creative Commons, Turkey Day Bento

The koraku (picnic) bento, is a large bento that is usually shared in a group or public setting, such as the park, and especially during cherry blossom viewing season, from late March to early April. It is mainly filled with traditional Japanese dishes that are chosen to reflect the season. Because these are more ceremonial, koraku boxes have less emphasis on rice.

During the Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), these picnic bento, composed of a lavish carrying frame, stacked koraku-style boxes, and travel sake bottles and serving plates, are used for ceremonial meals. This bento style supplies a convenient and aesthetically pleasing way to celebrate the occasion and admire the various doll displays. (If you’re interested in Japanese Dolls, check out these 8 Types of Exquisite Japanese Dolls!)

Similar to koraku bento, jubako boxes are simply stacked atop one another and often reveal an extravagant design. When arranged properly, scenes of nature and dressing rooms appear in glossy shades of gold. These tiered lunchboxes are the perfect way to prepare enough food for everyone while not taking up too much space. They have been used since the 18th century; often during New Year’s feasts and other celebrations. Year-end and opening jubako are specifically referred to as osechi boxes and have somewhat defined contents meant to bring in luck for the new year.

8. Unique Bento Boxes

© Laliv g / Creative Commons, Hello Kitty Bento Box

While Osechi bento have a specific list of must-haves to ensure a fortuitous new year, creativity and purpose often define the contents of other boxes. The eisai (love) bento is one made by a significant other and often contains cute, specially crafted treats and sweet messages, sometimes written in furikake (dry seasoning). Bento shared between highschool couples has a special place even in Japanese pop culture.

Chara-ben, literally meaning character bento, and oekaki-ben, picture bento, are popular among children and adult anime fans alike! A variety of ingredients are skillfully arranged to look like popular anime characters, pop culture figures, and animals. Some designs are so intricate and painstakingly crafted, that they look more like art pieces than food. The cute factor is not just for show, though. It is also a way to make picky eaters excited about food that they normally wouldn’t eat.

For those jet-setting around Japan, which traditionally includes office workers sent out on work assignments, eki-ben and sora-ben (station bento and ‘sky’ bento) have become a travel perk to look forward to. These lunch boxes are easily available at train stations and airports, and often feature local ingredients and specialties; such as kobe beef bento in Kobe, or shumai dumpling ekiben in Yokohama, which is known for its Chinatown. Even the busiest traveler has the chance to taste some local cuisine thanks to the bento box!

9. How to Make Your Own Japanese Bento Lunch?

Rice is the base of most bento boxes, although pasta salad or small sandwiches can substitute. After arranging each side item by type and utilizing various silicone cups or dividers to avoid unnecessary movement, it is time to put a lid on. Before closing the bento and wrapping it for safe travel, it should be left to cool completely, to reduce the risk of bacterial growth. Most bento are designed to be eaten cold or without heating, so it is important to keep that in mind when choosing dishes.

© Goblinbox / Creative Commons, Aisai Bento

The contents of a bento are only limited by your imagination, but there are some dishes that are classics, filling the bento boxes (and stomachs) of thousands of people every day. Tamagoyaki, a rolled omelet, is a staple of both izakaya and lunch boxes. Not only is it easy to make, but the simple eggy flavor works well with fish, meat, and vegetables. Check out Chef Rika’s nori bento (seaweed bento), which features grilled salmon and tamagoyaki.

Tako-san wiener (Mr. Octopus wiener) is another bento classic, evoking childhood and whimsy! Like tamagoyaki, these simply sliced and boiled hotdogs can be made in mere minutes and are popular with diners young and old.

Red Samekomon Furoshiki - Available at Japan Objects Store

Bento accessories and cute containers can be bought for relatively low prices and in hundreds of assortment options for personal preference. Though you can make a fine bento without any special tools, it definitely cuts down on time to use specific knives, cut-outs, and molds to create an aesthetically pleasing display. If it’s traditional aesthetics you’re after, try wrapping your finished bento in a furoshiki. Find out more in our guide to Furoshiki: Choosing the Finest Japanese Wrapping Cloth!

Of course, ready-made bento can be bought all over Japan in an assortment of price points and flavors. Bento can be bought from convenience stores, and even vary by region. Each shop will carry several store-specific meals, but for the most part, Japanese curry, simmered meat and rice, classic fish and vegetables, and popular Chinese and Western-inspired options are available anywhere.