What is the difference between Ekiben and bento box?

Japan is renowned for its world-class rail and outstanding cuisine, and one of the best ways for travelers to experience both is by sampling ekiben (bento boxes designed for train travel).

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Ekiben, ubiquitous in train stations throughout Japan, are much more than basic pre-arranged meals in a box. Reflecting local and seasonal specialties, the best ekiben are beautifully presented and feature a colorful array of ingredients, offering travelers a uniquely Japanese culinary experience.

Excited to explore Japanese cuisine while traveling between Japan&#;s best destinations? To help you travel like a local, we&#;ve put together this guide to Japan&#;s beloved train food so you can dine in style while riding the rails.

What Are Ekiben? 

The word &#;ekiben&#; is a portmanteau, combining the Japanese &#;eki&#; (meaning &#;train station&#;) and a shortened form of &#;bento&#; (meaning &#;lunch box&#;). These boxed bentos are sold at long-distance train stations across the country, often using regional ingredients that capture the taste of Japan&#;s individual prefectures. 

A far cry from pre-packaged, nutritionally poor snacks, ekiben are well known for high-quality ingredients. To create a balanced meal, these bentos usually contain rice or noodles, vegetables, and meat, fish, or seafood for protein. 

The dishes can range from the simple (omelets, rice balls, tempura, or fried tofu) to the more extravagant (sea urchin, grilled beef tongue, stewed eel, and rice pilaf, or tender Wagyu beef). The katsu sando (breaded pork cutlet sandwiched in white bread) is a classic lunchtime favorite, and you&#;ll often see gyoza and sushi in ekiben form too. As long as it&#;s portable and designed for train dining, virtually any meal can be enjoyed as ekiben. 

The decorative outer packaging of ekiben is occasionally elegant or unique enough to warrant keeping as a souvenir. Whether lacquered wood, a ceramic pot, or a plastic storage box shaped like its bullet train namesake, these ekiben containers can be reused once empty &#; perhaps even for making bento at home.

While it&#;s not common etiquette to eat and drink on local transit in Japan, long-distance trains such as the shinkansen (bullet train) are a different matter. Not only is it perfectly acceptable to enjoy a meal on board, it&#;s a national tradition, and shinkansen seats have tray tables for this specific purpose. There&#;s something wonderfully charming about savoring your ekiben while watching the scenery fly past through the window. 

Read more about getting around in our comprehensive guide to train travel in Japan, and why the JR Pass isn&#;t the best option for many travelers.

How Did Ekiben Become Standard Fare for Travelers? 

Especially compared to train food in other countries, ekiben are outstandingly beautiful and delicious. But they remain a food of the people, and their popularity has grown alongside the development of the unparalleled Japanese rail network. 

The first ekiben can be traced back to Tochigi prefecture in the late 19th century when a new JR line was established. At Utsunomiya Station in Japan&#;s northern Kanto region, vendors walked the platforms and sold a &#;station lunch box&#; to passengers through the train window: a meal consisting of two freshly made onigiri (rice balls) and a few slices of pickled daikon (radish), all wrapped in a sheet of bamboo leaves. (Fun fact for food-lovers: Utsunomiya is now synonymous with gyoza!)

While not the elaborate ekiben we know today, these early train lunches were happily welcomed thanks to the pre-existing popularity of bento, a compactly carried and neatly compartmentalized boxed meal. Japanese families had been carrying bento to work or school for centuries, so train-specific bento was an easy transition. However, the earliest ekiben were not yet an affordable option for the majority of train passengers.

A few years later, a combination meal of white rice and side dishes like rolled omelets and fish cakes was sold by vendors at Himeji Station in Hyogo prefecture. In the late Showa Period, ekiben began to appear at successive stations, sold on the platform&#;s edge by stall holders taking advantage of the steam train&#;s frequent pauses along its route. 

By the s, personal train travel was booming: more people needed to eat during their long journeys, and the use of more local ingredients made ekiben a cheaper and thus more accessible option for travelers.

By the s, ekiben had evolved to a point of cultural necessity. Particular regional ekiben were only available at one specific train station, creating a layer of uniqueness to a traveler&#;s journey &#; though department stores also began hosting annual ekiben tournaments for people to try Japan&#;s regional varieties without the need to travel. 

Though today&#;s modern trains are much faster and there are more dining options available, ekiben are firmly entrenched in Japan&#;s culinary culture.

Where to Find the Best Ekiben

Ekiben are usually best purchased before your train journey: Though some trains will offer on-board food service (trolley service), it&#;s not a guarantee. For instance, the Kagayaki Shinkansen (Hokuriku Shinkansen), which connects Tokyo with Kanazawa, has the luxurious &#;Gran Class&#; service. This ticket class comes with unlimited drinks and a small bento &#; though we still suggest shopping for bentos at Tokyo Station beforehand, as it&#;s a unique experience to browse the shops ahead of the journey. 

Scouring the shelves for a bento box that takes your fancy is a wonderful part of preparing for the shinkansen, and there are plenty of places to choose from. In Tokyo Station, you&#;ll find perhaps the biggest array of ekiben in the country: There are beautiful selections of bentos throughout the station, along with specialty snacks and sweets, and Japanese craft beers and sake to enjoy on the train.

Keep in mind that time of day makes a difference: browsing during the commuter rush-hour means you&#;ll definitely be queuing for your ekiben!

Here are a few of our favorite places in and around Tokyo Station to browse for unique and high-end ekiben:

• Daimaru Tokyo department store has a wonderful depachika (food hall) that opens at 10:00 am. You&#;ll find it connected to the station&#;s Yaesu North Exit. 
• eCute and GranSta, two shopping areas within the main ticket gates, are great places to pick up a variety of premium bentos, sweet treats, and more.
• Ekiben-ya Matsuri is an extremely popular store, just past the ticket gates on the first floor of Tokyo Station. With over 170 different types of ekiben, including many regional varieties from around the country, it&#;s a perfect place to browse. 
• For some quality sake to complement your meal, visit Hasegawa Saketen in the GranSta shopping area, which also has plenty of wine and craft beer.

Shopping for ekiben in-store also allows you to ask more questions before you buy. Bigger stores will have allergen information and English translations available, though there are often plastic representations or photos of the bentos on sale.

If you have food allergies or restrictions, read our guide to traveling in Japan with dietary requirements.

Best of the Ekiben Bento Menu 

With thousands of variations of ekiben available in Japan, it can be a little overwhelming to make a choice. Our preferred method is to keep an eye out for the most intriguing or beautifully packaged bentos while you browse the shelves. Culinary adventurers can opt for the specialties that each region is known for, like Hokkaido&#;s seafood, Mie&#;s Wagyu beef, or Sendai&#;s grilled beef tongue. 

Here are a few of the best varieties to try when traveling around Japan:

Shinkansen E7 kei Bento 

A perfect souvenir item courtesy of Ekiben-ya Matsuri in Tokyo Station, this shinkansen bento box comes in the form of a brightly painted plastic bullet train. Inside is a range of classic foods &#; fried chicken, onigiri, shrimp tempura and pickled vegetables &#; making this ekiben particularly appealing to the young travelers in your group.

Masu no Sushi Toyama

The most well-known regional dish of Toyama prefecture is Masu no Sushi: strips of local fatty trout that&#;s been salted and seasoned atop a round bed of dense, sticky rice. The ekiben version is also presented in a circular fashion, wrapped tightly in bamboo leaves to maintain pressure and held in a round cedar wood box which allows adequate aeration for the sushi. It&#;s so unique that there&#;s even a museum in Toyama City dedicated to the 300-year history of creating this regional specialty. 

Daruma Bento Gunma

Another popular collectible ekiben box is the daruma bento, shaped like the traditional doll from Takasaki in Gunma prefecture which is a talisman for good luck. After enjoying a meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables hiding beneath the daruma&#;s face, you can use the emptied daruma-shaped box as a coin bank via the doll&#;s open mouth. 

Hipparidako Meshi Nishi Akashi 

Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture is renowned for both its plentiful and tender octopus and the clay Takotsubo pots traditionally used to catch them. The result is an ekiben served in a reusable ceramic pot that&#;s opened to reveal fluffy rice on a soy sauce base, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carved carrots, and the show-stopper: chunks of local stewed octopus. First sold at Nishi-Akashi Station along the Sanyo Shinkansen line, the Hipparidako ekiben is now a popular dish sold at multiple JR stations in Hyogo. 

Moo Taro Bento Mie

It&#;s difficult to miss the striking container of this Moo Taro Bento, shaped like a cow&#;s head complete with horns and a nose ring. Inside, you&#;ll find premium Wagyu beef and chopped ginger strips served on a bed of rice, with a small serving of pickles alongside &#; and you&#;ll also be treated to a musical rendition of the &#;Furusato&#; folk song, which plays whenever the lid is removed. 

Kaizen Ezo Shomi Sapporo

The quality and freshness of the seafood from Hokkaido is outstanding, thanks to the cold waters surrounding the prefecture. Dining on the Kaizen Ezo Shomi ekiben is a luxurious yet surprisingly cost-effective way to sample the best of Hokkaido&#;s seafood: locally caught salmon, crab, scallops, sea urchin and fish roe, all served on a bed of vinegared sushi rice.

For more information, please visit Tongqi.

Ika Meshi 

Hailing from the Oshima area of Hokkaido, Ika Meshi contains two small simmered squids seasoned with soy sauce and stuffed with sweet sticky rice. This ekiben is usually sliced into rings for easy eating, although sometimes the squid is simply skewered on a stick. It&#;s most readily available at Mori Station and other stations in Hokkaido.

FAQ 

Are Bento Boxes Eaten Cold? 

While most bento and ekiben are designed to be delicious when eaten cold or at room temperature, on occasion, you may find bentos with self-heating boxes. Tucked inside the box is a heating element: simply pull the attached string and wait a few minutes for your meal to emerge steaming hot. Self-heating ekiben are usually more expensive, so if you&#;re keen to eat a hot meal, look out for the microwave ovens available at various shops and stations. 

To assuage any fears about food safety and the lack of refrigeration on board, ekiben packaging will clearly feature both expiration dates and times. 

What Is the Difference Between Ekiben and Bento? 

There isn&#;t really a difference between ekiben and bento except in their names. Bento is the catch-all term for compactly packed lunch boxes, while ekiben are a specific type of bento for eating on a train &#; and in some ways is seen as the high-end gourmet version of bento. Similarly, soraben are the air travel alternatives, purchased at the airport and eaten while flying. 

Are There Chopsticks in Ekiben? 

Yes, ekiben typically come with disposable wooden chopsticks and a small oshibori. Depending on the specific dish, many will also include a packet of soy sauce, some pickled or fresh ginger, or other seasoning. 

Can You Drink Alcohol on the Train? 

Yes, it&#;s quite common for Japanese people to accompany their ekiben with a cold beer purchased from the train station. Some train stations also have small liquor stores where you can pick up local craft beers, jizake (local sake), or even small bottles of wine designed for train travel. Just don&#;t overdo it, as train travel in Japan is meant to be enjoyed quietly.

Which Ekiben Will You Try? 

At Boutique Japan, we&#;re passionate about planning trips to suit your ideal mix of destinations, activities, and experiences &#; including food! Now that we&#;ve awoken your taste buds, get in touch about building a custom Japan itinerary that includes the country&#;s most unique and delicious food experiences.

In most countries, the food you get on trains isn&#;t great, but in Japan it&#;s amazing. Welcome to Ekiben &#; the world&#;s most delicious lunch boxes.

Table of contents:
Intro
What is Ekiben?
A Brief History of Ekiben
Where to Buy Ekiben
Types of Ekiben
How To Buy Ekiben
Ekiben and the JR Pass
Bonus Tips for Foodies

Intro

Ekiben, or Eki bento, brings together two of the things Japan is most famous for &#; incredible food and outstanding trains. A big part of any visit to Japan is sampling the amazing local cuisine and it&#;s also common knowledge that the best way to get around is using the country&#;s excellent domestic rail network, but did you know there&#;s a way you can do both at the same time? Unlike most other countries where the food on trains is almost always bad, the special meals on sale at Japanese train stations are so good they&#;ve become a delicacy in themselves. But what is ekiben and where did it come from, what different types are available, how much does it cost, and where can you buy it? We&#;ll tell you everything you need to know about this delicious Japanese boxed meal and why it&#;s the perfect complement to your JR Pass while travelling around Japan.

What is Ekiben?

Pronounced &#;air key ben&#;, the Japanese word &#;Ekiben&#; is a portmanteau of the kanji symbols for &#;train station&#; and &#;boxed meal&#; i.e. &#;station-bento&#;. Its name perfectly describes what it is &#; a lunch box sold at train stations for eating during your rail journey. However, ekiben is far more than that. Ekiben are delicious, fresh, high-quality boxed meals, often using locally sourced ingredients that reflect the local region, which are sold in a huge range of special varieties, from simple, tasty meals to eat on-the-go to elaborate limited editions and regional specialities. They also change with the seasons too and come in a range of containers &#; from relatively simple and traditional-looking wooden boxes and trays right through to stylish shinkansen-shaped boxes. While most ekiben are rice-based, almost every Japanese food is available in lunch-box form, from sushi to yakisoba, omelette to wagyu beef. Some even include dessert! Ekiben are usually served cold although there are some variations which come in special self-heating packaging if you need something hot. It&#;s worth noting that while ekiben are sold at train stations and associated with rail journeys, you can eat them anywhere &#; they&#;re great for picnics or to take back to your accommodation, as well as to enjoy while travelling.

A Brief History of Ekiben

Ekiben&#;s history is fascinating and, as you might expect, is closely linked to the development of the rail network in Japan. Traditionally, ekiben sellers would stand on the train platform with their boxed meals on a wooden tray hung around their neck. Today, they are sold in shops and kiosks, although you might still see a traditional stall here and there. There are many different stories about the origin of ekiben and competing claims to who was the first to come up with the idea, but one enduring account says that the &#;station lunch box&#; was sold when the JR line between Omiya station and Utsunomiya station opened in Saitama prefecture in . The first ekiben was very simple &#; rice balls (onigiri) and pickled radish wrapped with bamboo leaf &#; but it was also expensive. At the time, train travel was largely the privilege of the upper classes and white rice was also valuable so ekiben was initially more of a luxury. Fast forward to half a century later in and ekiben had begun to diversify with more regional variations and specialities. It was also more affordable and accessible for everyday travellers. Interestingly, as ekiben became the food of the people, it also increased in quality and complexity with a myriad of new, locally-sourced ingredients from each region and more elaborate &#;lunch box&#; containers introduced, from shinkansen bullet trains to Hello Kitty!. Ekiben has become a huge part of Japanese culture since then and is so adored and appreciated that there are ekiben enthusiasts and collectors, much in the same way you have trainspotters in western countries.

Where to Buy Ekiben

Train stations! This may seem obvious, but ekiben are sold at stations across Japan &#; you&#;ll find ekiben in every prefecture. However they are mostly found at larger stations &#; as they were typically to accompany longer journeys &#; so you&#;ll find less ekiben on sale at regional stations and you don&#;t usually see them at subways either. Large train stations, such as Tokyo Station, feature hundreds of ekiben for sale, sometimes from many different regions, while smaller stations are more likely just to stock their region&#;s favourite. You may also find authentic regional ekiben sellers the further out into Japan you travel. Finally, ekiben can also be bought in shopping malls and food halls attached to major train stations. As for when to buy them, they are sold throughout the day, but they are most popular just before commuter rush-hour periods (on the way to work, lunchtimes, and the journey home). These are probably the times of day to avoid if you just want to sample an ekiben and you&#;d like to avoid the queues.

Types of Ekiben

There are a huge variety of ekiben available across Japan &#; most reflecting the local produce that&#;s available and regional tastes. Different regions of Japan have different favourite ekiben and enthusiasts have been known to travel the length and breadth of the country to sample the many varieties. Here are a few examples of ekiben to look out for:

Shinkansen E7 kei Bento
The hint is in the name! Yes, this ekiben is shaped like a shinkansen bullet train and comes in a special decorative Bento box that can be kept as a souvenir and reused. This particular example is a simple and classic ekiben of onigiri rice balls and pickled radish &#; just like in the old days, but with a contemporary shinkansen-shaped twist.

Daruma Ekiben
This ekiben is stored in a special red plastic lunch box called a &#;Daruma&#; or &#;Dharma Doll&#; which is modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. Inside you&#;ll find the best local produce from Gunma Prefecture including rice, vegetables, chicken, wild plants and konnyaku. Red &#;Daruma Dolls&#; are considered good luck! Also look out for Toge No Kamameshi (with boiled egg, rice, apricot, and burdock), which is another popular ekiben from Gunma.

Torimeshi Bento
A favourite in Ohdate in Akita Prefecture, tori meshi bento is chicken-rice bento in a soy-based sauce. Very popular and very tasty &#; so much so that travellers regularly head to Ohdate just for this meal.

Wappa Meshi Bento
This describes the type of box itself. Wappa means &#;bent wood&#; box and traditionally the ones used for ekiben were made from real wood. They even come in double-decker versions if you&#;re extra hungry. Wappa boxes are not always made from real wood these days, but many are still designed to look as if they do using wood-grain printing.

Kanizushi and Oshizushi Bento
The first, kanizushi, is crab meat sushi, popular in stations in the Kanazawa region, and the second, oshizushi, is &#;pressed sushi&#;. These are both popular sushi-based ekiben. Read our guide to Visiting Kanazawa to read more about this beautiful and historic city that&#;s a little off the beaten path and find out how to get there with the JRailPass.

Masu No Sushi
This famous, traditional ekiben is as pretty as a picture. Pressed salmon and trout sushi with rice, all neatly wrapped together in bamboo leaves. Simple and simply delicious. There are several variations in this style, including kaki no ha sushi which consists of cured salmon, crabmeat, and omelette, wrapped in fresh persimmon leaves. Masu No Sushi is a favourite in Toyama.

Yakisoba (self-heating ekiben)
As mentioned above, while ekiben are traditionally served cold, innovative Japanese experts have come up with self-heating packaging on special ekiben to warm your meal before you eat. Yakisoba (stir fried noodles) is one of those that can be enjoyed this way.

Anago Meshi
Eel is another popular ekiben filling. This dish consists of roasted eel slices over rice that&#;s been cooked in eel broth for added flavour. Anago Meshi ekiben is popular in Hiroshima.

Sparkling Sea Bento
The sparkle comes from sockeye salmon roe that looks like little orange jewels from the ocean. This ekiben also includes salmon fillet and is a favourite in Miyagi Prefecture.

Yonezawa Beef Domannaka Bento
Delicately sliced layers of seasoned wagyu beef served over rice. This ekiben is said to be the most popular in Yamagata Prefecture.

Ekiben was often paired with tea traditionally and in the 19th century it was sold in a glass teapot called Shigraki, whose lid could be used as a cup &#; perfect for drinking while travelling on a train. Tea is still huge in Japan, from traditional tea ceremonies to green tea and matcha, and you can enjoy it in lots of different forms. It still makes a great accompaniment to a delicious ekiben. For more on tea in Japan read our guides to What It&#;s Like To Take Part In A Japanese Tea Ceremony and Getting Started With Green Tea.

How To Buy Ekiben (and how much they cost)

It couldn&#;t be easier to buy ekiben in Japan. The price is usually displayed alongside or under the individual ekiben on the counter. Often the ekiben on the counter are for display purposes only as the real thing is freshly prepared and pre-boxed. All you need to do is point to your choice and the staff will retrieve your selection for you. Prices range from around 300-400 yen for snack-size ekiben right through to 3,000 yen and above for the most elaborate and large boxed-meals. However, most ekiben will cost between 700- yen.

Ekiben and the JR Pass

As we&#;ve explained, ekiben and the Japan Rail Pass are a match made in heaven. Ekiben is the perfect food to accompany your adventures across Japan and the JRailPass is the best, most cost effective way to get around and see as much of this amazing country as you can with one ticket. Japan&#;s trains are so incredibly efficient, fast, cost-effective and enjoyable to use that many people in Japan don&#;t own a car or even have a driver&#;s licence.

If you&#;re a first time visitor to Japan or new to the country&#;s super-efficient domestic rail network, and you&#;d like to find out more before you travel, you should read our Visitors Guide to Japan&#;s Trains and Railways. Our guide to Trainspotting in Japan has more on the proud history of the country&#;s trains too as well as a list of the most beautiful and scenic rail journeys.

Meanwhile, if you&#;d like to know more about why the Japan Rail Pass and why it&#;s such a good idea to get one for your visit to Japan, read our guide to Why The JR Pass Is Worth It for everything you need to know. You can also get regional passes and local passes which can be useful companions to your JR Pass. One thing that&#;s certain is when travelling on Japan&#;s excellent trains, you&#;re guaranteed an amazing meal thanks to ekiben.

Are you interested in learning more about Disposable Bento Box? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Bonus Tips for Foodies

• Ekiben is just one of Japan&#;s culinary specialities. This amazing country is a paradise for food lovers, with something for every taste.
• If fine dining is your style, Japan has the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. Find out more in our list of Japan&#;s Best Michelin-starred Restaurants.
• On the other end of the scale is Japan&#;s street food, which you&#;ll often find at festivals (matsui), stalls near temples and shrines, and in other low-key spots around cities. Our guide to Japanese Street Food Explained will tell you more.
• And somewhere in between you have Izakaya restaurants &#; almost the equivalent of a gastro pub where drinks are as much a feature as the food. Read Why You Should Eat At An Izakaya Restaurant to learn why it&#;s such an unmissable experience.
  Japan is also world-famous for its own cuisine, particularly home-grown dishes like sushi and specialities like ramen as well as a huge range of regional dishes. A Beginners Guide to Japanese Food and Regional Dishes will tell you everything you need to know.
• When you&#;re dining out (or eating on a train), you&#;ll want to follow Japanese customs and etiquette. This might seem daunting, but it&#;s really easy and the Japanese people are super polite and friendly. Read our Guide to Japanese Table Manners.