A Bento (弁当 bentō) is a takeout or home packed meal common in Japan usually eaten at lunch. Bento boxes range from disposable packages to hand crafted, beautiful traditional Japanese lacquerware. Bento lunches can be bought in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores (konbini コンビニ), bento shops, train stations, and department stores. Bento lunch boxes come in all shapes and sizes and are a great way to bring a traditional Japanese lunch to your office or school.

The origin of bento can be traced back to the late Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333). Cooked and dried rice called Hoshi-ii became a popular way to prepare, transport and eat meals. It was eaten as is or boiled in water. It was originally stored in a small bag, however in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568 to 1600), wooden lacquered boxes were produced and used to transport meals to social events such as tea parties and cherry blossom viewing. The Edo Period (from 1603 to 1867), saw the popularity of bento lunch boxes grow and spread across Japan. Travelers and sightseers would carry a koshibentō (a waist bento), that held several Japanese rice balls wrapped with bamboo leaves.

Japanese mums often wake up early to prepare lunch boxes for their husbands and children. Bento lunch boxes can be beautifully arranged in a style called "kyaraben" which is Japanese English for character bento. Kyaraben are typically decorated to look like popular characters from anime (Japanese cartoons), manga (comic books), or video games.

My Japanese friend Ayaka sent me pictures of the Kyaraben (キャラ弁 ) that she created with some free time on a Sunday afternoon in Hyogo, Japan. Featuring Totoro and Chopper from the very popular Anime series One Piece.

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