Loading...

May 13, 2025

What's in your bento box?

Do you fix a bento box lunch? How often? What do you typically put in yours? When do you prepare it - in the evening or in the morning?

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

Living between the Tone and Edo Rivers in Higashi Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture.

6 Answers



Best Answer

  • BigfamJapan

    on May 17

    Further to my last comment - I have just published the post about free school lunches if anyone is interested! https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/GQjEL-living_food_money_education_saitama

    1
  • TonetoEdo

    on May 13

    Opps, I forgot to ask, how many bento boxes do you prepare each time?

    0
  • genkidesu

    on May 17

    It's typically not something I do for myself since I don't work out of the home, but sometimes I do when we are going on a day trip and don't want to purchase meals. I pack them for my kids, though! It's usually a mix of things, but I try to stick to the tried and true formula of some kind of protein, some kind of carb (rice, noodles, etc.), some veggies, and some fruit. One thing they love in bento is salmon, and that is one noticeable difference from living here compared to my home country. Bringing a packed lunch with fish to a workplace or school back home would be something a lot of people would frown at. I think overall lunches here are a lot more healthy/balanced because there's more of a focus on real food.

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    on May 17

    @genkidesu Ah, I also pack either salmon or mackerel on occasion. It's a bit fragrant, but like you say, fish is a common bento box protein, so nobody bats an eye. These days, I do spag and udon a few times a week to stretch out my stock of expensive rice!

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on May 17

    My husband is the bento box maker in our house! The last bento I made was nine years ago. We've never had a regular need for bento until this year. My eldest needs one daily now that he is in high school. My husband most commonly puts in rice, some sort of chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and some type of fruit. He's been using tinned fruit which works out cheaper these days. This is very timely because I am about to write about free school lunches!

    0
  • genkidesu

    on May 25

    I always like "top" lists for inspiration, and I found this: https://macaro-ni.jp/108528 Probably no real surprises that things like tamagoyaki, grilled salmon, and hamburger steak ranked highly.

    0

Awaiting More Answers

1 Answer

Favourite neighbourhoods in your region?

Genkidesu blogged about the coolest 'hoods in the world, which places Jimbocho as number one. https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/genkidesu/GB7kY-living What's your favorite neighbourhood in Tokyo or another major city? What makes it a stand-out that brings you back again and again?

TonetoEdo

on Sep 27

7 Answers

Reflections on our home countries after living in Japan

I think one thing living in Japan has given me is an appreciation of things my country does really well, and things it doesn't do so well in comparison to here. For instance, I think Australia is great with annual leave entitlements. You get four weeks automatically (some workplaces offer even more!) and there's not any guilt associated with taking it. Something we don't do so well is public transport. I know that Australia is a massive country, but there has been talk of creating a high speed rail option from Melbourne to Sydney for ages, and nothing has ever come of it. It's basically an 8 hour drive or flying. Also, inner city trains are regularly not on time. What are the things you think your home country does better or worse than Japan?

genkidesu

on Aug 26

6 Answers

Hair Color Treatments for Greying Hair

For those of you who have colored grey hair, I'm curious about the hair color treatments available in most drugstores. They seem simpler to use than box dyes. It's been many years since I've colored my hair. It's a chestnut brown and my grey is more silver. I don't hate it but the grey is dry and making me feel like I look older than I am. I'm especially interested in the natural brands that are non-permanent. For example Rishiri Kombu sounds like a decent option. Looking forward to your recommendations and experience.

helloalissa

on Aug 3

4 Answers

Golden Week 2025 plans?

This year's Golden Week gives us Tuesday, April 29th, and then potentially a four-day weekend from May 3rd to 6th. How are you intending to spend the break? Will you travel, "staycation", or dare I ask, work through it?

TonetoEdo

on Apr 24