Ekiben Boxed Lunches for Train Travel

For information on Japanese culture, customs, lifestyles, and much more, visit Web Japan (). Japanese boxed lunches, or bentō, come in an immense variety. Ekiben, sold at train stations for eating on long train journeys, are a great way to sample the many regional cuisines as you travel around the country. The Sanriku Railway, running along the northeastern Tohoku coast, has ekiben featuring fish fresh from the ocean you see out of the train window. Trains to the mountain hot spring resort of Hakone, near Tokyo, offer a special ekiben only sold when the area’s famous hydrangeas are in bloom. Finally, we visit Gunma, for Japan’s most famous ekiben, Toge no Kamameshi, sold in a traditional Mashiko-ware ceramic container that keeps your meal warm during the journey, winning popularity for a long time.