Two Weeks of Eating in Japan, Chapter 13.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing for me about Japan was its bento culture, especially when it came to eating on the Shinkansen. Enjoying bento boxes, individually apportioned meals in portable containers, is more than convenient sustenance for when you’re on the move; it’s special, intricate, and an event.

The choices of bento are insane; you visit concession stands or convenience stores in stations and are confronted with rows upon rows of boxed goodness, ranging from rice bowls to sushi, katsu curries to boxes of buns. Bento boxes are, on average, a couple of thousand Yen each, which is great value for money. Better than this, they’re genuinely good, going far beyond the U.K.’s approach to eating on the go, which generally extends to a) eating a Tesco sandwich and some potato chips while being stuffed into someone’s armpit on a Euston to Birmingham train service that’s running miserably late service, or b) being frowned at in the quiet carriage because snacking your way through a rustle-y bag of steaming hot Burger King fare is apparently “against the rules”.

Once you get your bento box, you take it on board your on-time train, place it on your spacious tray table and snack away without guilt or anxiety of the food going anywhere but into your mouth.  Boxes are well-organised and neat, with partitions or wrapping to separate different elements of your food, to prevent the spread of strong flavours and, in the case of raw food like sushi, to limit the spread of bacteria.  The boxes come with all the condiments and utensils you need, and are works of art.  You want for nothing, and nothing is excessive. 

I probably didn’t indulge in the bento culture as much as I should have done, or as much as The European actually did.  I am a pathetic creature of habit and, overwhelmed by choice and short of time as our trains arrived, regressed to sandwiches, Pocky, and Pringles and/or potato chips more often than not, drawing many frowns from Her Highness.  My one true bento box experience was some glorious sushi wrapped in nori, and it was some of the best I have ever had.  Nevertheless, as I said, incredible sandwiches from 7-Eleven frequently won the day.  What can I say; you can take the boy out of Tesco, but can’t take Tesco out of the boy.