The cultural significance of Bento in Japan
Japan is a country with many interesting cultural aspects, in which culinary is one of them. Those interested in Japan in general and Japanese cuisine, in particular, must have heard of bento at least once.
Bento boxes have long been a significant cultural aspect of Japan, with its history deep-rooted since many centuries ago. In this article, let’s discover with GoEMON to see what’s so special about these small bento boxes and see why they are more than just a convenient way to carry food around.
1. What is Bento?
Bento, or 弁当 in Japanese, is a single-serving take-out meal that is usually eaten as lunch. In simple terms, it is like that of a lunch box that we are all familiar with.
A traditional bento box usually consists of rice (sometimes noodles) and meat, fish, and pickled and cooked vegetables on the side, making it a nutritionally balanced meal.
Bento is also readily available everywhere in Japan, from convenience stores, supermarkets, stores specializing in bento, and so on. Oftentimes, restaurants will also have special bento menus aside from their usual main ones as well. This makes it the perfect lunch option for students and office workers.
2. History of Bento
The history of Bento can be traced back to the Kamakura period of the 12th century when a type of rice called Hoshi-ii was developed, which basically was rice cooked and then dried to be carried to work. Often stored in a small bag, this rice can be eaten as it is (since it was already cooked) or boiled with water to make it soft again. By the 16th century, wooden lacquered boxes were produced and used to store food, and people would bring them to eat during hanami or tea parties.
The Edo period marked the time when bento culture spread and became more refined. Travelers would bring a simple bento box called “Koshibento” （腰弁当), or waist bento in English.
The bento culture continued to develop and spread throughout the development of Japan until the Taisho period when bento was seen as a luxury due to crop failures caused by the World War. Many issues on the possible negative impacts that bento could have on school children were also raised, such as how they reflected the students’ families’ wealth or the lack of nutritional value (in the case of poorer families), and so on. Thus, the practice of bringing bento to school nearly diminished after World War II and schools began to provide school lunches instead.
Bento began to regain its domestic popularity in the 1980s. Now, bento culture has grown way beyond Japan to become well-known all over the world.
3. Bento in the lives of Japanese people
Today, bento boxes are a crucial part of Japanese culture, loved and enjoyed by people of all ages. Bento is not just a meal box; its meaning goes way beyond that simple definition to reflect the beauty, values, and traditions of Japan and the Japanese people. In this section, GoEMON would like to share a little bit about the cultural significance of bento and the role it plays in the life of Japanese people.
(1) An art form: When packing a bento, the Japanese do not just simply “throw” everything into the container, pack it up, and call it a day. Instead, a lot of thought and consideration is taken into the intensive process of slicing, shaping, and packing so that the bento looks as neat and as visually appetizing as possible. The attention to detail is also next-level, such as how there would be dividers between the different foods to not get the taste from strong ingredients to affect that of another, or how there will sometimes be toothpicks inserted to help pick up small foods.
(2) Vehicle of communication and expressing love: As mentioned earlier, making a bento box is definitely no easy task: it is an intensive process that requires a lot of thought into coming up with a balanced meal, making the individual foods, and put everything together to look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Thus, to Japanese people, making a bento for someone means that you really appreciate and care for the other person. This way of thinking is all the more true considering how it is common for mothers in Japan to make bento for their children to take to school.
Bento is more than just a convenient way to carry food: it is a cultural icon that reflects the rich history, culture, and characteristics of both the country Japan and its people. It sure is amazing how something seemingly so simple like a lunch box can carry such cultural significance and meanings.
GoEMON hopes that the article was useful to you in learning more about the cultural significance of bento in Japan!
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