Japanese bento box —emotion and culture packed in a small box

When you think of bento box , what can you think of? For most people, this is just a high-level name for "lunch box". But there is a country in the world that has made what we call " lunch box " into a world-famous culture. Yes, it is Japan.

How did this country, which combines the spirit of craftsmanship and chuunibyou, create sparks with "box lunches"? Today, let us talk about Japan’s bento culture.

What is bento box culture?

The Japanese call portable food eaten outside the home a bento box . In a bento box, there are usually rice, main dishes, side dishes and small desserts after the meal. The variety is so rich that it is somewhat similar to a Western-style full meal.

The Japanese’s love and obsession with bento box is reflected in many small details.

The first thing that bears the brunt is the extremely obsessive pursuit of a sense of ritual. All food must consider the combination of meat and vegetables, nutritional value, food color, and finally be neatly presented on the plate. This is also the biggest feature of Japanese bentos.

In Japan, bentos seem to have penetrated into the blood of residents. Not only are there many related books in bookstores, but there are also special programs on TV, and many restaurants even sell their own bentos.

When talking about lunch boxes, lunch boxes are always an inseparable topic. If you have the opportunity to go to a Japanese grocery store and see the dazzling array of bento boxes lined up on the shelves, you will definitely sigh that Japan is indeed the country of "lunchboxes".

The origin and development of bento box

The origin of Japanese bento box can be traced back to the Heian period, when bento was made from hand-made rice and dry food. Some people may ask: There was no such thing as a microwave oven at that time. Would eating cold food not cause stomach upset?

Because Japan is an island country, it has also experienced a 1,200-year ban on meat (eating no cows, pigs, dogs, chickens, etc.).

Only eating fish is not prohibited, so sea fish has become their source of protein. Japanese people love to eat raw sea fish, so cold lunch boxes are also familiar and favorite to them.

It wasn't until the Azuchi Momoyama period that this way of dining was truly known as "lunchbox". When Oda Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle, he used lunch boxes to provide meals for all the construction workers. At the same time, the generals ate the same way when they were out on expeditions.

The history of lunch boxes

The development of lunch boxes has accompanied the development of lunch boxes.

At first, the lunch box was just a wooden barrel used to hold dry rice, called a "noodle barrel". During the Heian period, people made a type of bento box called "roko", which was also the prototype of today's bento box.

During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, bento boxes were called "tatsuki" and were lacquered boxes with colored wooden surfaces. There were special compartments inside the box for placing matching dinner plates, chopsticks, and wine vessels. It can be said that with a "lifting weight", you can have a feast wherever you go.

In modern times, with the development of science and technology, people are more inclined to use plastic lunch boxes in order to be lightweight, fast and easy to clean in daily life.

However, this does not mean that the original lacquer box has been neglected. On the contrary, this kind of retro-style lunch box made of natural materials and pure Japanese handicrafts is now more collectible and the price is quite high.

Lunchboxes and comics

The biggest contributor to making Japanese bentos known to the world is comics. Especially in campus and lifestyle comics, bento can be seen. Whenever the protagonist or a passerby opens the lunch box, there will always be a flash of golden light, indicating that the box contains not only exquisite food, but also love and family affection. You can always find a feeling of happiness on these characters' faces as you take your next bite.

It is precisely because of this overwhelming cultural dissemination that over time, the younger generation of the world has begun to understand and explore Japan and Japanese bento culture. It has to be said that Japan’s cultural export capability in this area is quite strong.