Bento

<h2 id="etymology">Etymology</h2>
In Japan, "bento" is written in <a href="/facts/Kanji/E1IN7hVL">kanji</a> as 弁当 (<a href="/facts/Ky%C5%ABjitai/kdFcvr6X">Kyūjitai</a>: 辨當<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>). The word itself originates from the Chinese <a href="/facts/Song_dynasty/FxV5bXS5">Song dynasty</a> <a href="/facts/Slang/upCbLgcN">slang</a> term 便当 (便當, <a href="/facts/Pinyin/pUwjfMXg">pinyin</a>: biàndāng), meaning "convenient" or "convenience" (this sense is still used in <a href="/facts/Wu_Chinese/IXnCCme0">Wu</a> dialects such as <a href="/facts/Shanghainese_dialect/o4MEAwa2">Shanghainese</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a>). When the word was imported to Japan, it was written with the <a href="/facts/Ateji/PKkjTLAv">ateji</a> 便道 and 弁道.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> In modern times, the term is commonly used in East and Southeast Asia. In <a href="/facts/Mainland_China/HFXJcUky">mainland China</a>, <a href="/facts/Hong_Kong/4nAf3mqQ">Hong Kong</a> and <a href="/facts/Taiwan/VcJoUD8w">Taiwan</a>, bento remains written as the original name 便當 (<a href="/facts/Pinyin/pUwjfMXg">pinyin</a>: biàndāng). In other <a href="/facts/Sinophone/WCQWmqLa">Sinophone</a> communities, both biandang and bento are often interchangeably used.

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
The increased popularity of bento can be traced back to the 12th century during the <a href="/facts/Kamakura_period/urEK8SQV">Kamakura period</a>, when meals of cooked and dried rice called hoshi-ii (糒 or 干し飯, literally "dried meal") were developed to be carried to work.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> A hoshi-ii can be eaten as-is or boiled with water to make cooked rice, and is stored in a small bag. By the 16th century, wooden lacquered boxes were produced, and bento would be eaten during <a href="/facts/Hanami/7h1TNHEj">hanami</a> or a tea party.

In the <a href="/facts/Edo_period/BWxv9h57">Edo period</a> (1603–1867), bento culture spread and became more refined. Travelers and sightseers would carry a simple koshibentō (腰弁当, "waist bento"), consisting of several <a href="/facts/Onigiri/WqIdgqUw">onigiri</a> wrapped with bamboo leaves or in a woven bamboo box. One of the most popular styles of bento, called <a href="/facts/Makunouchi/hyvEDfJn">makunouchi</a> bentō ("between-act bento"), was first made during this period.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a> Viewers of <a href="/facts/Noh/XqdCbdte">Noh</a> and <a href="/facts/Kabuki/2oGaj1h1">kabuki</a> performances ate specially prepared bento between maku (<a href="/facts/Act_(drama)/j6TR5G0z">acts</a>). Numerous cookbooks were published detailing how to cook, how to pack, and what to prepare for occasions like <a href="/facts/Hanami/7h1TNHEj">hanami</a> and <a href="/facts/Hinamatsuri/03jY626k">Hinamatsuri</a>.
In the <a href="/facts/Meiji_era/Ajr5VCQ5">Meiji era</a> (1868–1912), the first ekibentō or <a href="/facts/Ekiben/q6y2VKRR">ekiben</a> (駅弁当 or 駅弁, "[train] station bento") was sold. There are several records that claim where ekiben was first sold, but it is believed that it was sold on 16 July 1885 at <a href="/facts/Utsunomiya_Station/o4euhVsa">Utsunomiya Station</a> in the northern <a href="/facts/Kant%C5%8D_region/dVLy5bK2">Kantō region</a> of Japan, and contained two onigiri and a serving of <a href="/facts/Takuan/zIeNkzPk">takuan</a> (pickled <a href="/facts/Radish/NvNvoIdU">radish</a>) wrapped in bamboo leaves. As early schools did not provide lunch, students and teachers carried bento, as did many employees.
In the <a href="/facts/Taish%C5%8D_era/9xYDogLf">Taishō era</a> (1912–1926), the <a href="/facts/Aluminium/7wmR8jYE">aluminium</a> bento box became a luxury item because of its ease of cleaning and its silver-like appearance. Also, a move to abolish the practice of bento in school became a social issue. Disparities in wealth spread during this period after an export boom during <a href="/facts/World_War_I/vITTUanQ">World War I</a> and subsequent crop failures in the <a href="/facts/T%C5%8Dhoku_region/Fbjx2y2E">Tōhoku region</a>. A student's bento too often reflected their wealth, and many wondered if this had an unfavorable influence on children both physically, from lack of adequate diet, and psychologically, from a clumsily made bento or the richness of food. After <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, the practice of bringing bento to school gradually declined and was replaced by uniform meals provided for all students and teachers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>

Bento regained popularity in the 1980s with the help of the <a href="/facts/Microwave_oven/nS1B3wp2">microwave oven</a> and the proliferation of <a href="/facts/Convenience_store/LpWjFLqc">convenience stores</a>. In addition, the expensive wood and metal boxes have been replaced at most bento shops with inexpensive, disposable <a href="/facts/Polystyrene/dfIVntty">polystyrene</a> boxes. However, even handmade bento has made a comeback, and they are once again a common, although not universal, sight at Japanese schools. Bento are still used by workers as a packed lunch, and by families on day trips, school picnics, and sports days. Homemade bento are wrapped in a <a href="/facts/Furoshiki/WcovFzeA">furoshiki</a> cloth, which acts as both a carrying bag and a table mat.

<h2 id="culture">Culture</h2>
In Japan, it is common for mothers to make bento for their children to take to school. Because making bento can take a while, some mothers will prepare the ingredients the night before, and then assemble and pack everything the following morning before their children go to school.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> It is often a social expectation of mothers to provide bento for their children, to create both a nutritionally balanced and aesthetically pleasing meal.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> This activity is expected of the mother and emphasized by society at large,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> and is common in nursery school institutions.
The traditional bento that is eaten at school or at work is most often prepared by the mother or the wife. However, bento can also be bought at <a href="/facts/Konbini/LpWjFLqc">konbini</a> (convenience stores) or from street vendors who appear on street corners at lunchtime. For those in a hurry who spend their lunch time aboard <a href="/facts/Shinkansen/Q3lH3fMJ">Shinkansen</a> bullet trains, ekiben are available in train stations.
<a href="/facts/Osechi/mQ2J5M9c">Osechi</a>, an assortment of foods eaten around the <a href="/facts/Japanese_New_Year/HkfnNFEo">Japanese New Year</a>, is typically arranged in a multi-tiered <a href="/facts/J%C5%ABbako/bWLoXAlt">jūbako</a> box, similarly to bento.
The slang term hayaben (早弁), literally "early bento", refers to eating a bento before lunch and having another lunch afterward.

<h2 id="in-other-countries">In other countries</h2>
<h3>China</h3>
The Chinese word for boxed meals is héfàn (盒饭), though biàndāng as a re-borrowing from Japanese may also be used. There are numerous regional styles, ranging from <a href="/facts/Northeastern_Chinese_cuisine/407EzXyo">Northeastern Chinese</a> boxed meals<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> to the <a href="/facts/Hong_Kong_cuisine/sl0qFQGV">Hong Kong</a> "two dishes with rice" boxed meal.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a> Packed meals would traditionally be carried in boxes known as shíhé (食盒, "food box"). Shíhé ranged from basic styles to elaborate, multi-tiered designs.

<h3>Taiwan</h3>
The bento made its way to <a href="/facts/Taiwan/VcJoUD8w">Taiwan</a> in the first half of the 20th century during the Japanese colonial period and remains popular to the present day.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a> The Japanese name was borrowed into <a href="/facts/Taiwanese_Hokkien/C8257EsU">Taiwanese</a> (piān-tong) and <a href="/facts/Hakka/sH1uFDej">Hakka</a> (phien-tông). A modern Taiwanese bento always includes protein, such as a crispy fried chicken leg or a piece of grilled <a href="/facts/Mackerel_as_food/2JGyluTQ">mackerel</a> and marinated pork chop, as well as side dishes.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a> <a href="/facts/Taiwan_Railway_Bento/Jj0CUXRH">Taiwan Railway Bento</a> is a well known bento dish manufactured and distributed by the <a href="/facts/Taiwan_Railways_Administration/t60v9zkU">Taiwan Railways Administration</a> at major railway stations and in train cars. It is estimated that, with five million boxed meals sold per year, annual revenue from bento distribution amounts to 370 million <a href="/facts/New_Taiwan_dollar/g8VbdVqM">NTD</a> (approx. 10 million <a href="/facts/United_States_dollar/naEEDUhC">USD</a>).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a>

<h3>Korea</h3>
In Korea, similar packed lunch boxes are called <a href="/facts/Dosirak/84crFKsb">dosirak</a>, and they may be homemade or store-bought. They are similar to Chinese and Japanese variations. Dosirak is usually made with a few different vegetable and meat side dishes, often including a type of <a href="/facts/Kimchi/VQd4zeDf">kimchi</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a>

<h3>Singapore</h3>
In Singapore, such packed lunch boxes are often acculturated and localised with cuisines slightly different to Japan. These may include roasted pork (similar to <a href="/facts/Char_siu/W1Wcpfm1">char siu</a>) and <a href="/facts/Soy_egg/F3SayrNS">soy eggs</a>, as well as <a href="/facts/Fried_rice/k85hfMf5">fried rice</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20">20</a> It has been a common method of meal preparation within Singaporean cuisine as early as the start of the 20th century, intensifying during the <a href="/facts/Japanese_occupation_of_Singapore/cEdboRtd">Japanese occupation</a> and cultural influences in subsequent decades with Japanese-style bento also being common in the country today.
In 2021, the Singapore Food Tech Event showcased how bento of the future might look like for a <a href="/facts/Food_system/UoD0y4Ax">sustainable food system</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21">21</a>

<h2 id="types">Types</h2>

<h3>By ingredients</h3>
<ul><li>Hinomaru bentō (日の丸弁当), named and patterned after the <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Japan/8hQ6oUtY">flag of Japan (Hinomaru)</a>, is the name for a bento consisting of plain white rice with an <a href="/facts/Umeboshi/8gMHazKM">umeboshi</a> in the centre. Pure Hinomaru bento only consists of rice and an umeboshi to flavor the rice, without any other side dishes. The metal bento boxes once popular in Japan were often corroded by the acid from the umeboshi, eventually making a hole in the middle of the lid.</li>
<li>Noriben (海苔弁) is <a href="/facts/Nori/u2yabhyY">nori</a> dipped in soy sauce covering cooked rice.</li>
<li>Sake bentō (鮭弁当) is a simple bento with a slice of broiled salmon as the main dish.</li>
<li>Tori bento (鳥弁当) consists of pieces of chicken cooked in sauce served over rice. It is a popular bento in <a href="/facts/Gunma_Prefecture/PfDqdGxt">Gunma Prefecture</a>.</li></ul>

<h3>By style or container</h3>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Kamameshi/o3VSqlmg">Kamameshi</a> bentō (釜飯弁当) are cooked and served in <a href="/facts/Clay_pot_cooking/agLNTrGY">clay pots</a> and sold at train stations in <a href="/facts/Nagano_Prefecture/S5lbg8hC">Nagano Prefecture</a>. After eating, the pot becomes a souvenir item.</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Kyaraben/GTB1unxR">Kyaraben</a> (キャラ弁) are bento with the contents arranged to look like popular characters from anime, manga, or video games.</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Makunouchi/hyvEDfJn">Makunouchi</a> bentō (幕の内弁当) is a classic style of bento with rice, umeboshi, a slice of broiled salmon, and a rolled egg.</li>
<li>Shōkadō bentō (松花堂弁当) is a traditional black-lacquered bento box. It inspired <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a>'s <a href="/facts/ThinkPad/z3xvLdUr">ThinkPad</a> design.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22">22</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Wappameshi/1TobHECW">Wappameshi</a> (わっぱめし) is a meal served in a special round wooden bento-styled container.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23">23</a></li>
<li>Shikaeshiben (仕返し弁) is "revenge" bento made by wives to get back at their husbands. Insults are written in the food, or it is made inedible.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24">24</a></li></ul>

<h3>By origin</h3>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Ekiben/q6y2VKRR">Ekiben</a> (駅弁) is bento sold at railway stations or onboard trains. There are many kinds of ekiben; most are inexpensive and filling.</li>
<li>Hokaben (ホカ弁) is any kind of bento bought at take-out bento shops. Freshly cooked hot (hokahoka) rice is usually served with freshly prepared side dishes. The name was popularized after a pioneering take-out bento franchise in the field, <a href="/facts/Hokka_Hokka_Tei/K3Yp83nn">Hokka Hokka Tei</a>.</li>
<li>Shidashi bentō (仕出し弁当) is made in a restaurant and delivered during lunch. This bento is often eaten at a gathering, such as a funeral or a party. It is usually packed with traditional Japanese foods like <a href="/facts/Tempura/rxL4qwjQ">tempura</a>, rice and pickled vegetables. A shidashi bento packed with European-style food is also available.</li>
<li>Soraben (空弁) is bento sold at <a href="/facts/Airport/KQkDpK1n">airports</a>.</li></ul>
<h2 id="scholarship">Scholarship</h2>
Many scholars have written about the bento since the late 20th century. The foundation of their approach is based on the idea that food can carry many different meanings.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25">25</a>
In the 1970s, <a href="/facts/Chie_Nakane/5qgtwKxx">Chie Nakane</a> used ekiben as a metaphor for group organization in Japan. By comparing this variant of bento to groups in Japan, she considered how different organizations in Japanese society often include identical components so as not to depend on any other groups for their success.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:26" href="#fn:26">26</a> In 1984, Ŏ-ryŏng Yi used bento to present tendencies towards <a href="/facts/Reductionism/tc2aWaza">reductionism</a> in Japanese culture; all the food in a Japanese-style lunch box is only able to be reduced to fit in a little box due to it being Japanese food, as it naturally lends itself to being tightly packed.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:27" href="#fn:27">27</a> <a href="/facts/Roland_Barthes/IGtTQkyG">Roland Barthes</a>, on the other hand, used a symbolic approach to describe the lack of a <a href="/facts/Centrepiece/32qEofdg">centrepiece</a> in Japanese food. He described the distinct contents of a bento box as a multitude of fragments or ornaments that are combined to beautify each other.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:28" href="#fn:28">28</a> Joseph Jay Tobin in 1992 discussed how the meticulous assembly of individual bento boxes has been aided by the reinterpretation of Western goods, practices, and ideas through a process he classified as domestication.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:29" href="#fn:29">29</a>

<h2 id="gallery">Gallery</h2>

<h2 id="trivia">Trivia</h2>
<ul><li>Bento has its own <a href="/facts/Unicode/DDu3MfPV">Unicode</a> <a href="/facts/Emoji/Qkp7gwBH">emoji</a>: 🍱 (U+1F371)</li></ul>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Plate_lunch/Jc805zLj">Plate lunch</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Tiffin_carrier/1oAw3Vqu">Tiffin carrier</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/TV_dinner/JUClz6aH">TV dinner</a></li></ul>

<h3>Sources</h3>
<ul><li>劉文駿; 王威傑; 楊森豪 (2003). 百年台灣鐵道 (in Chinese). 果實. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 986-7796-11-X.</li></ul>
<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bento (food).

<ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071130035719/http://flickr.com/photos/tags/bento/clusters/">Photos of bento</a> on <a href="/facts/Flickr/BvB6ubLr">Flickr</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Bento". Dictionary.com. <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bento" target="_blank">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bento</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"Bento: Changing New York's Lunch Culture," Chopsticks NY, vol. 27, July 2009, p. 10-11. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Gordenker, Alice (2021-06-04). "The Actual Reason There's Plastic Grass in Your Bento". Retrieved 2025-01-10. <a href="https://www.japanesefoodguide.com/sushi-grass-bento/" target="_blank">https://www.japanesefoodguide.com/sushi-grass-bento/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Matsui, Kanji; Ueda, Kazutoshi (1941). 辨當. Dai Nihon kokugo jiten 大日本國語辭典 [(Dictionary of the Japanese Language)] (in Japanese). Vol. 5 (修訂版 ed.). Tokyo, Japan: 冨山房 (Fuzanbō). p. 195. doi:10.11501/1870727. OCLC 672545596. <a href="辨當大日本國語辭典" target="_blank">辨當大日本國語辭典</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">Xu, Baohua; Tao, Huan (1997). 上海方言词典 [Shanghai Dialect Dictionary]. Nanjing: Jiangsu Educational Press. p. 119. ISBN 7-5343-3122-6. <a href="上海方言词典7-5343-3122-6" target="_blank">上海方言词典7-5343-3122-6</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Bento 弁当（べんとう） 語源由来辞典 (Etymology Dictionary) <a href="http://gogen-allguide.com/he/bentou.html" target="_blank">http://gogen-allguide.com/he/bentou.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Bento (Lunch Box) Archived 2020-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, Japan Hoppers, Retrieved on 29 May 2017 <a href="https://www.japanhoppers.com/en/all_about_japan/food/234/" target="_blank">https://www.japanhoppers.com/en/all_about_japan/food/234/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Bento: Changing New York's Lunch Culture," Chopsticks NY, vol. 27, July 2009, p. 10-11. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"Japanese Lunch Boxes - History". web-japan.org. Kids Web Japan. Retrieved 9 December 2013. <a href="http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/bento/bento02.html" target="_blank">http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/bento/bento02.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Buck, Stephanie (2016-09-09). "The controversial history of the bento box". Medium. Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2019-10-01. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220522021334/https://timeline.com/bento-box-history-27b04153c6f6" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20220522021334/https://timeline.com/bento-box-history-27b04153c6f6</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Siegel, Bettina (28 September 2010). "The Adorable Lunch, Part 2: My Interview With Bento Moms". The Lunch Tray. Retrieved 13 December 2016. <a href="http://www.thelunchtray.com/the-adorable-lunch-part-2-my-interview-with-bento-moms/" target="_blank">http://www.thelunchtray.com/the-adorable-lunch-part-2-my-interview-with-bento-moms/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Allison, Anne (2000). Permitted and Prohibited Desires. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. 81–104. <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Allison, Anne (2000). Permitted and Prohibited Desires. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. 81–104. <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">irenelovesya (2023-05-23). "Dongbei Lunchbox: A Budget-Friendly Viral Lunch Option". www.thebeijinger.com. Retrieved 2024-02-09. <a href="https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2023/05/22/dongbei-lunchbox-budget-friendly-delight" target="_blank">https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2023/05/22/dongbei-lunchbox-budget-friendly-delight</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">Editorial, Business Digest (2023-03-23). "【兩餸飯】兩餸飯為香港經濟不景氣產物？談兩餸飯的起源". Business Digest (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2024-02-09. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help) <a href="https://businessdigest.io/%E5%95%86%E6%A5%AD%E7%86%B1%E8%A9%B1/%E5%85%A9%E9%A4%B8%E9%A3%AF-%E5%85%A9%E9%A4%B8%E9%A3%AF%E7%82%BA%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%B6%93%E6%BF%9F%E4%B8%8D%E6%99%AF%E6%B0%A3%E7%94%A2%E7%89%A9-%E8%AB%87%E5%85%A9%E9%A4%B8%E9%A3%AF%E7%9A%84%E8%B5%B7%E6%BA%90" target="_blank">https://businessdigest.io/%E5%95%86%E6%A5%AD%E7%86%B1%E8%A9%B1/%E5%85%A9%E9%A4%B8%E9%A3%AF-%E5%85%A9%E9%A4%B8%E9%A3%AF%E7%82%BA%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%B6%93%E6%BF%9F%E4%B8%8D%E6%99%AF%E6%B0%A3%E7%94%A2%E7%89%A9-%E8%AB%87%E5%85%A9%E9%A4%B8%E9%A3%AF%E7%9A%84%E8%B5%B7%E6%BA%90</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">Chen, Karissa (2019-03-06). "Taiwan's Train Food Puts Amtrak to Shame". Eater. Retrieved 2019-06-05. <a href="https://www.eater.com/2019/3/6/18241749/bento-box-best-food-train-stations-taiwan" target="_blank">https://www.eater.com/2019/3/6/18241749/bento-box-best-food-train-stations-taiwan</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">Chen, Karissa (2019-03-06). "Taiwan's Train Food Puts Amtrak to Shame". Eater. Retrieved 2019-06-05. <a href="https://www.eater.com/2019/3/6/18241749/bento-box-best-food-train-stations-taiwan" target="_blank">https://www.eater.com/2019/3/6/18241749/bento-box-best-food-train-stations-taiwan</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:18">劉文駿, 王威傑 & 楊森豪 (2003), pp. 137－142. - 劉文駿; 王威傑; 楊森豪 (2003). 百年台灣鐵道 (in Chinese). 果實. ISBN 986-7796-11-X. <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">"Korean lunchbox recipes from Cooking Korean food with Maangchi". www.maangchi.com. Retrieved 2020-12-13. <a href="https://www.maangchi.com/recipes/dosirak#:~:text=Dosirak%20(also%20spelled%20%22doshirak%22,and%20a%20serving%20of%20rice" target="_blank">https://www.maangchi.com/recipes/dosirak#:~:text=Dosirak%20(also%20spelled%20%22doshirak%22,and%20a%20serving%20of%20rice</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:20">"Events and listings: CNY food deals, Nafa open house, Singapore Art Week events | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022. Takeaway bento sets are also available, including Salted Egg Prawns with Egg Fried Rice and Honey Chicken Char Siew with Egg Frice Rice. <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/life/events-and-listings-cny-food-deals-nafa-open-house-singapore-art-week-events" target="_blank">https://www.straitstimes.com/life/events-and-listings-cny-food-deals-nafa-open-house-singapore-art-week-events</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:21">Ho, Sally (3 September 2021). "Singapore Food Tech Event Showcases Alt-Protein Innovations and Serves Bento Box of The Future". Green Queen. Retrieved 31 January 2022. <a href="https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/ket-alternative-protein-food-tech-show-singapore-2021/" target="_blank">https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/ket-alternative-protein-food-tech-show-singapore-2021/</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:22">Golden, Peter (January 1, 1999). "Big Blue's big adventure". EDN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved 2007-03-24. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120620182705/http://www.edn.com/article/CA66399.html?partner=eb&pubdate=1%2F1%2F1999" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120620182705/http://www.edn.com/article/CA66399.html?partner=eb&pubdate=1%2F1%2F1999</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:23">"Savor Japan" (PDF). Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. 2018-09-21. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2021-08-11. <a href="https://www.maff.go.jp/tohoku/seisan/tisantisyou/attach/pdf/savorjapan-1.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.maff.go.jp/tohoku/seisan/tisantisyou/attach/pdf/savorjapan-1.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:24">"Revenge bento show us it's a dish best served cold (and boxed) with insults and hidden chilies". SoraNews24. 2015-02-28. Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2017-07-11. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171014082900/https://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/28/revenge-bento-show-us-its-a-dish-best-served-cold-and-boxed-with-insults-and-hidden-chilies/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20171014082900/https://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/28/revenge-bento-show-us-its-a-dish-best-served-cold-and-boxed-with-insults-and-hidden-chilies/</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:25">Noguchi, Paul H. (1994). "Savor Slowly: Ekiben: The Fast Food of High-Speed Japan". Ethnology. 33 (4): 317–330. doi:10.2307/3773902. ISSN 0014-1828. JSTOR 3773902. <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3773902" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3773902</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:26">Noguchi, Paul H. (1994). "Savor Slowly: Ekiben: The Fast Food of High-Speed Japan". Ethnology. 33 (4): 317–330. doi:10.2307/3773902. ISSN 0014-1828. JSTOR 3773902. <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3773902" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3773902</a> <a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:27">Yi, Ŏ-ryŏng (1984). Smaller is better : Japan's mastery of the miniature (1st English ed.). Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 0-87011-654-1. OCLC 10723642. <a href="0-87011-654-1" target="_blank">0-87011-654-1</a> <a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:28">Barthes, Roland (1982). Empire of signs. Howard, Richard (First American ed.). New York. ISBN 0-8090-4222-3. OCLC 8587789.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) <a href="0-8090-4222-3" target="_blank">0-8090-4222-3</a> <a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:29">Tobin, Joseph Jay (1992). Re-made in Japan : everyday life and consumer taste in a changing society. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-05205-7. OCLC 25048328. <a href="0-300-05205-7" target="_blank">0-300-05205-7</a> <a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Bento open-in-new

Bento