shopping

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The Back To School Week deals continue! First up today are two discount codes from Japonmania, our newest site sponsor, to give you a little taste of their shop.

Comparing bento box materials (table)

Are you confused about what material is most appropriate for bento boxes? Plastic is easy available, or maybe you want something greener - but is the extra cost worth it? Here's a handy comparison chart to help you make the right choices.

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Here's the first giveaway prize of Back To School Week - a very cute bento set from Japanistic!

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With Father's Day coming up, I thought I'd take a look at some guy-friendly bento boxes and related items available from the bento retail world. While there is nothing to prevent a guy from using a pink bunny bento box with cherry and flower-themed chopsticks if he so chooses, most men may prefer their bentos to be a bit more understated.

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This is something I plan to do regularly - a quick roundup of interesting and/or new bento products that are available from our wonderful sponsors - without whose support this site could not keep running - as well as other things in the bento-product world that have caught my eye. The April post got delayed because I was travelling, jetlagged and so on, but here it is!

Where to buy bento boxes and accessories in Japan

Bento supply display shelf in local Japanese supermarket

So you are planning a trip to Japan. You want to stock up on bento boxes and accessories. Where should you go? There are stores to cater to many needs and budgets.

Note that this guide is biased towards the Tokyo metropolitan area, but the general principles apply to other areas of the country.

Bento tidbits from Japan: Ready-made bento foods from the supermarket

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So, you think that Japanese moms (and wives) prepare homemade bentos completely from scratch? Think again...

Bento tidbits from Japan: 7Meals, 7-11's healthy bento and meal delivery plan

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One of the questions asked in the comments to my first Japan trip report was what kind of healthy 'fast-food' options there were. In that vein, I thought I'd talk about something that you can see for yourself, in a way. You might have heard already how totally awesome Japan's convenience stores, called conbini or konbini, are. They are like the 24 hour delis and bodegas that you see all around a big city like New York in a sense, but go several steps further in terms of customer service. Competition is fierce between the major conbini chains like Lawson, Family Mart, and 7-11, and competition between the conbinis and the fast food restaurants for the quick-meal market is quite serious too.

Japan's 7-11s are not quite the same as the ones in the U.S. to say the least. One of the services they offer is takeaway or home delivery of pre-ordered meals, including bentos. They have a dedicated web site for this service, called 7meal (セブン・ミール) (in Japanese only.)

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