Bento Boxes

I’ve fallen in love with the bento box concept. I’ve been making them for myself once a week for the past couple of months, and it’s become quite the habit – that said, I can’t imagine doing it every day, or making them for anyone else for that matter. I understand that it’s traditional for women to make them for their hubbies to take to work, but frankly, any dude who happens to be in my life can make his own novelty rice balls. Or he can make them for me – I’m working 13-hour days on this project, for crying out loud.

I do enjoy the process of planning and crafting them, though. I’ve even bought myself a ridiculous product that presses rice into kitten and panda shapes, and a device for cutting carrots into heart shapes. Of course, I’ve also got an awesome box system.

Once a week, my lunches are forever the envy of all my colleagues. I must be doing something right.

– Emmaline

 


 

I’ve been buying bento boxes from convenience stores since the day I arrived in Japan.  I could make them for myself if I wanted to, but why bother? The whole thing is a show-off pageant, anyway – a competition over who has the most devoted partner, or something to that effect.

Having said that, I copped a peek at Emmaline’s packed lunch this morning, and it did make me feel like I could stand to pull my socks up in the arena of looking after myself.

– Cathy

 


 

I’ve discovered a series of gachapon that consists of bento box elements – plastic rice balls, plastic pickled ginger and so much more. It also has the box itself, in jigsaw puzzle-like pieces that snap together to create a life-sized replica of the most perfect bento box imaginable. I’m determined to complete mine!!

– Brentley