, a shortened form of , is a style of elaborately arranged
bento
A is the Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese, Korean, Singaporean cuisines and more, ...
(Japanese boxed lunch) which features food decorated to look like people, characters from popular media, animals, and plants.
Japanese homemakers often spend time devising their families' meals,
including their boxed lunches.
Originally, a decorated bento was intended to interest children in their food and to encourage a wider range of eating habits. It has now evolved into a cultural symbol, to the point where national contests are held.
In popular culture
''Kyaraben'' lunchboxes are a major plot element in ''
Bento Monogatari'', a 2010 short film by Belgian director
Pieter Dirkx.
See also
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Ekiben
are a specific type of ''bento'' boxed meals, sold on trains and at train stations in Japan. They come with disposable chopsticks (when necessary) or spoons. ''Ekiben'' containers can be made from plastic, wood, or ceramic. Many train stations ...
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Makunouchi
is a popular type of Japanese bento which consists of mostly rice along with fish, meat, pickles, eggs, vegetables, and an umeboshi (a salt pickled plum). There are also other kinds of food such as a chestnut-rice, sweetfish sushi, and meat-a ...
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References
External links
Face Food: The Visual Creativity of Charaben (and Other Food)
Bento
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