HO CULTURE
Cloth and containers turn a meal into something to carry.
A cloth ties around what a box holds.
A furoshiki is a roughly square cloth used to wrap and carry objects. Folding and knotting turn the same flat fabric into a covering for a lunch box, a carrier or a gift wrapping. The object’s shape and the cloth’s size determine how much fabric is available for the folds and knots.
A bento box is a container for carrying food. Wooden picnic sets, metal and plastic boxes, and insulated carriers organise a meal through their bodies, compartments, lids and outer shells.
From everyday lunches to meals for a train journey.
Bento is a meal arranged in a box for carrying or individual serving. It may be made at home, bought ready to eat or served at a restaurant. Rice and side dishes are common, but bento names describe many different menus, containers and occasions.
Ekiben are boxed meals associated with railway stations and train journeys. Their food, containers and paper wrappers can introduce a place before you reach it. There is no single ekiben menu: rice with assorted dishes, regional sushi and a meal centred on one local speciality all belong to the tradition.