To buy a bento on the local station … Ekiben Story
Where do you take a lunch every day? I think many people have a lunch in cafeteria, restaurant,or fast food. But many people would have a lunch box you made in your house, on the other hand . There are a lot of benefits to have lunch box. For example, economic, not to go to restaurant, not to wait for lunch,etc.
Now in Japan, bento lunch box is very popular style. Many people make bento every morning. Then eat in the working place or school. And sometimes people make special bento, for special events. School event , athletic meet, or picnic.
Anyway bento is a Japanese popular culture.
By the way, Japan has good railway.Especially, super express. Then, I want introduce special bento in Japanese railway, that called "ekiben". "Eki"means a station, and " Ben" means bento.
Usually you can buy ekiben in main station. Tokyo station, Ueno station, and Osaka station, etc. Then actually there are many kind of ekiben in main station, but if you want enjoy Japanese location, I recommend local station's ekiben. It is interesting looking for bento,you have never seen, I think.
Perhaps, you might think Japanese local station is too far to go. However, nowadays many super express have developed, and easy to go local town. Morioka, Niigata, Shizuoka, you can arrive in 3 hours from Tokyo. In local station, maybe there were not many kinds of ekiben, but there are special unique bento based on the local specialty.
And the reason that I recommend local bento, is that there is good atmosphere in local town, you have never feel. You know Japanese local towns are near by great nature. Sea location, big mountain, silent valley, there are. If you would choose local trip in Japan, you can enjoy 2 times as good as journey in big town.
Anyway, in Japanese local station or town, there are good location and food, ekiben. Then if you explore local town, you will have good treasure you had never seen. Get good experience of bento!
have a bento in local station
In Japan many town you can buy a original bento. So it is so many and I cannot introduce all ekiben. Then some link of ekiben is bellow, and please look for another bento.
Morioka station bento
Niigata station bento
Sizuoka station bento
