The art of Japanese bentō, between tradition and design
If you were lucky enough to watch cartoons in the '70s, '80s or '90s, you may have noticed a scene where one of the characters pulls out a little box filled with food in bizarre shapes and colors. That little box is the bentō, what in Milan they'd call a schiscetta (packed lunch).
But in Japan the bentō isn't just a packed lunch: it's an art that reflects the culture, the relationship with food, and the importance of beauty even in small things. Carefully detailed, balanced in flavor and elegantly presented, the bentō captures the Japanese philosophy of harmony in a single box.
If you're planning a trip to Japan, the list of "absolute must-dos" should also include exploring the wonderful world of bentō. It doesn't matter whether it's a simple lunch grabbed quickly at a konbini in Osaka or a refined ekiben bought while waiting to board the Shinkansen. Every bentō has a story to tell!
The origins of bentō in Japan
Let's start from the beginning! The term bentō comes from Chinese and means "convenient". The spread in Japan of the habit of having a sort of packed lunch dates back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333), when warriors and farmers carried rice and fish in small containers. During the Edo period (1603–1868), the bentō became an integral part of urban life: makunouchi bentō appeared, served to audiences in kabuki theaters, and finely lacquered boxes became widespread. In the Meiji period (1868–1912), with the arrival of trains and long railway routes, ekiben were born, the bentō still sold in stations today.
Beyond these "public" versions, preparing bentō is also a living habit in private life, so much so that on YouTube there are countless videos of mothers and wives (but also husbands) preparing bentō for their children's school lunch or for their partner's office lunch. What's more, bentō boxes have become collector's items thanks to increasingly varied and innovative designs.
The art of bentō: aesthetics and philosophy
At the start of this article I compared the bentō to the schiscetta. In reality the two only share their functionality. The bentō is in fact more than just food placed in a portable container.
Every bentō always follows three fundamental principles of Japanese food culture:
- Nutritional balance: rice, protein, vegetables and pickles are carefully balanced.
- Visual harmony: colors and shapes matter, and foods are chosen and combined to create compositions that please the eye as well as the palate.
- Seasonality: ingredients and decorations always follow the changing seasons, celebrating nature. That's why, for example, during momiji you'll find chestnuts and mushrooms, while for hanami there's okara denbu, a pink soy-based condiment reminiscent of cherry blossoms.
In short, a well-made bentō is never random: it's designed to nourish the body, to please the eyes and spirit, and also to convey attention to detail. The choice of container also contributes to this: there are bentō-bako made of plastic, steel, cedar wood or lacquer, decorated bentō and minimalist bentō. The choice depends on the ingredients, the season, and also the personality of the person preparing or using it.
The main types of bentō
You've probably already understood: the world of bentō is surprisingly vast. So here are some of the most common types:
- Makunouchi bentō: the most traditional, with white rice, grilled fish, meat, pickles, eggs and vegetables, all divided into small compartments.
- Hinomaru bentō: extremely simple but iconic, with white rice and an umeboshi (pickled plum) in the center, reminiscent of the Japanese flag.
- Kyaraben (Character Bentō): born in the 1980s, these are bentō decorated to look like cartoon characters, animals or kawaii figures. Today they're much loved by children and popular on Instagram.
- Shidashi bentō: bentō prepared by restaurants or caterers and delivered for events, ceremonies or meetings.
- Ekiben: railway station bentō.
Ekiben: a journey within the journey
On your trip to Japan, ekiben will be your gateway into the world of bentō.
The name comes from combining eki (station) and bentō, and each station offers its own, tied to local products. For example, in Kanazawa you can enjoy bentō with fresh crab, in Sendai gyūtan beef dominates, while in Hokkaidō salmon and ikura (salmon roe) are common.
Their popularity is strongly linked to the spread of train travel: Japan has an efficient railway system, and it's not uncommon for Japanese people to travel by rail not only for work but also for tourism. Eating an ekiben while traveling, perhaps on the shinkansen, is an integral part of the experience.
In fact, many travelers search in real time for reviews and rankings of the most famous ekiben at different stations. To avoid being without a connection during your stay, the ideal solution is to rent a Pocket Wifi. With a Pocket Wifi you'll have unlimited internet anywhere in Japan, letting you check maps, find stations with the best ekiben, translate menus, and instantly share photos and videos of your culinary experiences.
Where to buy bentō in Japan
While ekiben can be found in every station, other bentō are easily available in supermarkets, minimarts (konbini) and specialty shops.
7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart offer a wide range of affordable bentō, while depachika (food halls in department stores) are a true paradise for more refined, higher-quality versions.
