Just Bento

This week’s bento box is an example of a type of bento box which is designed to hold onigiri or omusubi (rice balls) securely.

While onigiri are very portable, they can get smashed around if you just carry them loose, and fitting them in a regular flat bento box can be a bit awkward sometimes. This is where the onigiri bento box comes in. continue reading...

This week’s bento, or rather food-on-the-go, box is from the popular Fit & Fresh™ line from Medport. Fit & Fresh™ products are plastic containers with a cooling element included in some way. This makes them interesting for use with food that needs to be kept chilled, especially in the warmer months. continue reading...

As I posted yesterday, making individual pies in muffin or cupcake liners is a great way to make ‘planned leftovers’ from dinner look neat enough to put into a bento box. As Sile suggested in the comments, if you don’t want to use throwaway paper cups, silicone cups are a reusable alternative. Calphalon makes a nice silicone liner and cupcake pan set which would be perfect for this. The liners are in pretty pastel colors.

You can also use the liners as dividers in your bento, for salads, fruit, and so on. They sell the tin and liners as a set, as shown here, or the liners on their own. Extras might be a good idea to have if you do freeze the food ‘cupcakes’. continue reading...

This week I’m going back to the handcrafted bento boxes that I love. The material in the spotlight is bamboo. continue reading...

This week’s bento item of the week is something that goes into a bento box for a change - microwaveable rice. continue reading...

This week I’d like to address a question that comes up frequently - where and how to buy the bento items and boxes mentioned here as well as on other bento blogs and sites. continue reading...

After a brief hiatus, Bento Item of the Week is back! This week the spotlight is on bento containers made of stainless steel. continue reading...

The kyaraben (cute character bento) artist in Japan does not have to go it alone, armed only with basic tools. There’s a big array of specialized tools that she (or the rare he) can use. I saw this company’s products mentioned in several Japanese kyaraben blogs as being easy to use and innovative. And indeed they seem to be. continue reading...

If you’ve ever bought an inexpensive small bento box at a 100 yen shop or via eBay, the chances are pretty high that it was made by one company, Nakano Co.. They are the ones responsible for the bento boxes carrying the mysterious Lube Sheep logo. After visiting their company web site, I still have no idea what it actually means, and it probably doesnt mean anything at all - it’s just a cute piece of Japanglish that someone in the company thought sounded good. (Yes, I know it sounds a bit dirty, but let’s try not to go there.) continue reading...

The last couple of featured bento boxes have been strictly practical. This week I’m returning to the realm of the sublime, with these handcrafted wooden and lacquered bento boxes from Akita prefecture in northern Japan. continue reading...

An adorable handmade bento bag from Etsy. continue reading...

The sturdy, microwave-safe Ikea 365+ food savers are great inexpensive bento boxes. They look good too. continue reading...

The minimalist white bento box offerings from Muji. continue reading...

This week’s focus is on non-disposable chopsticks that enhance your bento eating experience, as well as being a bit kinder to the environment. continue reading...

This week for a change the bento box featured is one you can buy easily online on eBay. I’ve chosen it not because the bento box itself is special, but for the design on top, which makes me smile. continue reading...

Vintage/retro aluminum bento boxes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s are popular as room accessories as well as for bento. continue reading...

This is not your everyday bento for sure. Offered by a bento maker in the town of Nikko, the Nikko maizoukin (Nikko treasure) bento costs 150,000 yen, about US $1340 at today’s exchange rates. It can only be ordered in Japan of course, and must be pre-ordered. continue reading...

Looking forward to the new year, here’s a juunishi or Chinese zodiac print furoshiki, Japanese wrapping cloth. continue reading...

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Bento item of the week is a weekly feature on Just Bento. This week’s item is this adorable bento box. continue reading...

Magewappa means bent woodware; it’s a traditional hand craft of Odate, which is located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. Straight grained pieces of Akita cedar are bent in circular shapes to form the sides of containers. The bent wood is then fastened with a contrasting dark bark or wood strips.

There’s been a resurgence in the popularity of magewappa ware, so it’s made around the country, but this box comes from Akita, where I think the craftsmanship is still the best.

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Hey, a new series! Every week on or around Wednesday, I’ll be featuring a bento box or bento accessory that has caught my eye for some reason. I’ll try to stick to items that can be ordered online as much as possible, unless it’s something truly exceptional.

Important notice: This bento box can be selected as your prize in the Menu for Hope drawing! continue reading...