Eating Up Japan

The Delicious World of Ekiben

Exploring Japan's Iconic Train Station Bento Boxes

With so much to choose from, it’s hard to decide! Photo by author.

As the long Shinkansen train pulls into Tokyo station, I wait with a sense of high anticipation. Anticipation not only for the journey I am about to take but also for what is in the Ekiben I am carrying, carefully composed and packed into a bamboo bento box, covered with a colorful decorative wrapper, and suspended from the index finger of my right hand.

One of the great pleasures I look forward to when traveling by long-distance train in Japan is enjoying Ekiben.

Ekiben, literally 'station bento,' are boxed lunches traditionally sold at train stations throughout Japan and intended to be consumed on long train journeys.

The roots of ekiben go way back to the time before railroads when travelers would either pack their bento or purchase bento at one of the many teahouses set up along well-traveled routes.

Later, when the Kabuki theater became popular, theatergoers were sold Makunouchi Bento (lit. 'between the curtains bento') sold and consumed during the event and between the acts.

In the late 19th century, as train travel became available to the public, entrepreneurs began to make and sell the first boxed lunches at railway…