The phenomenological guide to ekiben

Tips for finding Japanese train bentos, 13 ekiben to try, plus the history, gastronomy, and aesthetics of place in Japan

History

The first ekiben appeared in 1885 at Utsunomiya Station in Tochigi prefecture about 100 kilometers north of Tokyo: two salted rice balls coated in sesame seeds, wrapped in bamboo leaves, with a side of pickled daikon. They caught on with hungry commuters on long-haul train rides and grew exponentially in an era of rapid railway expansion.

Today th…