Just from watching anime, I've seen the way Japanese school kids pack their lunches. In small boxes which they usually carry in a cloth bag or handkerchief. I've seen these lunches in such shows as Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Whisper of the Heart, and more.

I felt compelled to look into these lunches and found out they're called bento box lunches. According to my Japanese/English dictionary "bento" is translated as "packed lunch; lunch box". I've also read that its called "obento" which translates to "lunch box". So we'll call it bento.

Bento is a beautiful and creative way to pack a meal. It looks like a good bento is neatly packed, tasty, and consists of healthy food to make a well balanced meal. Such care and precision is taken in preparation and presentation of the food.

After looking into bento and researching some Japanese foods, I felt it would be fun to list some common Japanese foods, ingredients, and dishes.

- Common Japanese Foods -

- Bento in Anime & Manga -

- Bento Equipment -

- My Bento Boxes -

- Links & Sources -