All About Japan All About Japan

Fresh start every Monday!

The Tumbler Bento: Pure Genius!

YouTuber Ochikeron assembles three very different bento-style lunches in plastic travel tumblers. What a great idea!

Catch His Eye with a Couples' Bento

Before dating, teenage girls may attract their love interest’s attention with a homemade lunch.

Halal Friendly Bento in Japan

Ever think of eating bento in Japan, but had trouble finding one that's halal? Wherever you are, we've got you covered!

The Difference Between a Bento & a Lunch Box

It has to do with the contents and packing style, but it has to do with the feelings of the packer as well.

Our Top 5 Bento Sites

Check out any of these inspiring sites to learn more about the brilliance of bento!

All About Ekiben

Much more than dull meals to fill up hungry travelers, the best ekiben provide a small window into the regional cuisine and culture of the place where they're produced.

The Force is With these 6 Star Wars Bento

How many wookiees can you fit in a lunch box?

The Kyaraben Behind the Cover

Kyarabenist.jp works to foster a love of "kyaraben," or character bento.

The Bento Album

The first female hip-hop artists to enter the Oricon top ten, Halcali celebrate their greatest hits with a bento.

Little Miss Bento's Snoopy & Woodstock Bento

Little Miss Bento shows us how to do a proper Peanuts lunch box.

Ekiben Spotlight Local Cuisine

A Matsumoto bento maker teams up with students and the local agricultural co-op to create a castle town feast.

A Brief History of Bento

Bento can be found everywhere in Japan, from convenience stores and railway stations to upscale department stores. But where did they come from?

The Cheapest Bento in Tokyo?

We sent our reporter out with ¥500 and a mission: go get lunch, and bring back change. He found what he was looking for in Taito Ward.

10 Rules for Good Bento

JustBento's Makiko Itoh shares the philosophy that guides her daily bento life.

Epic Music Makes for Awesome Bento

Little Miss Bento reaches for Oscar gold with epic editing and musical selection!

Get Your Bento in a Tube

Takara Tomy's Smart Han is a kind of push-pop for your leftovers.

The BBC Investigates Bento

With some Japanese mothers admitting to spending hours each morning on their children’s lunches, how far is too far in the name of kawaii?

4 Businesses Inspired by the Bento Box

The bento’s sleekness, compactness, balance and visual appeal have spurred ideas for various businesses in Japan and beyond.

This Kyaraben Tutorial is Totally Kawaii!

Too cute to eat? In this breezy clip, J-food vlogger and cookbook author Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook shows you how to crank the kawaii factor of your bento box to dangerously adorable proportions.

The 16 Best Worst Bento Lunches Ever

Enjoy these hilarious examples of times Japanese mothers, for whatever reason, decided today just wasn't the day for their loved one to receive an elaborate lunch.

know-before-you-go