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boxed lunches
Do Japan’s new single-minded convenience store bento show depressing poverty or satisfying focus?
- Casey Baseel
Sep 25, 2026 - Tweet
The line between simplicity and inadequacy can be a fine one. Which side do Lawson’s new Ittentoppasugi fall on?
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • cheap eats • cheap food • convenience stores • crazy • food • Japanese convenience stores • Lawson • sausage • SNJO • taste test • weird)
Japanese convenience store is very focused with its new bento…maybe TOO focused
- Casey Baseel
Sep 20, 2026
Lawson’s crazy corn bento arrives as part of new series of “sugi” foods.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • convenience stores • corn • crazy • food • Japanese convenience stores • Lawson • sausage • weird)
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
- Casey Baseel
Aug 23, 2026
Now there’s even more to be thankful to Thanko for.
- Japan
- (awesome • bento • bento boxes • boxed lunches • clever • COK • cooking • cooking gadgets • cool • food • gadgets • one-persomn rice cooker • rice • rice cookers • Thanko)
Are Japan’s room-temperature curry packets the boxed lunch heroes we’ve been looking for? [Taste test]
- Casey Baseel
Aug 10, 2026
Packets of curry you can store and eat at room temperature could be the answer to our prayers for portable, smell-safe curry.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • clever • COK • cool • curry • curry rice • food • SNJO • taste test)
Japanese bento shop touches hearts by selling super cheap boxed lunches for around a dollar
- Oona McGee
Jun 17, 2026
A humble store so generous it makes us want to cry.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunch • boxed lunches • cheap eats • food • foodies • Gottsuan Bento • heartwarming • Japanese food • Kanagawa • noriben • obento • SNJO • super cheap eats)
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?
- Casey Baseel
Jun 12, 2026
Ordinarily cheap Matsuya opens a high-priced Matsuya inside another upscale Matsuya.
- Japan
- (beef • beef bowls • bento • boxed lunches • COK • department stores • food • Ginza Matsuya • gyudon • Japanese beef • Japanese food • Kobe beef • Matsuya • Matsuya Ginza • restaurants • SNJO • taste test • Wagyu)
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain Matsuya opens gourmet Premium Matsuya with Kobe beef…inside Matsuya
- Casey Baseel
Jun 8, 2026
A tale of four Matsuyas, and a whole lot of gourmet wagyu beef.
- Japan
- (beef • beef bowls • bento • boxed lunches • COK • department stores • food • Ginza Matsuya • gyudon • Japanese beef • Japanese food • Kobe beef • Matsuya • Matsuya Ginza • restaurants • Wagyu)
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
- Casey Baseel
May 29, 2026
Lawson opens its first “mini supermarket” in Tokyo.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • COK • convenience stores • food • L Minimart • Lawson • SNJO • supermarkets)
This train station bento boxed lunch shop has been in business for nearly 100 years
- Casey Baseel
May 9, 2026
Inside Chiba Station, Manyoken is a piece of edible history.
- Japan
- (bento • bento boxes • boxed lunches • Chiba • COK • cool • food • old restaurants • pork cutlet • SNJO • stations • taste test • tonkatsu • trains)
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
- Oona McGee
Apr 14, 2026
You won’t find food in Japan much cheaper than this.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunch • boxed lunches • cheap eats • croquettes • food • foodies • Japanese food • Kanagawa • obento • super cheap eats)
Japan’s Mos Burger creates tempura rice bowl bento boxed lunch burger, but not for its menu
- Casey Baseel
Mar 23, 2026
New item seeks to put four food categories in your hand all at once.
- Japan
- (awesome • bento • boxed lunches • burgers • crazy • fast food • food • Mos Burger • noriben • rice • rice burgers • tempura)
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
- SoraNews24
Mar 3, 2026
The Yukifuri Wagyu Obanazawa Sirloin and Rib Loin Steak Rice Box has a long name, a high price, and our stomach’s interest.
- Japan
- (beef • bento • boxed lunches • COK • Ekiben • expensive food • food • Japan travel • meat • SNJO • steak • taste test • Tokyo Station • tourism • travel • Wagyu)
Blowfish-shaped fugu bento appears to celebrate Japan’s Blowfish Day [Taste test]
- Casey Baseel
Feb 10, 2026
Yes, fugu can kill you with its poison, but this one might kill us with cuteness.
- Japan
- (Awajiya • bento • bento boxes • blowfish • boxed lunches • COK • cute • food • fugu • pufferfish • SNJO • taste test)
Beautiful Totoro bento box mixes classic and modern symbols of Japan
- Casey Baseel
Oct 30, 2025
Two-tier box shows the forest spirit looks adorable even with motifs much older than the Studio Ghibli anime he made his debut in.
- Japan
- (anime • bento • bento boxes • boxed lunches • cute • Donguri Kyowakoku • manga • My Neighbor Totoro • Studio Ghibli • Totoro)
Tokyo bento boxed lunch shop charges different prices depending on how heavy your laptop is
- Casey Baseel
Oct 21, 2025
If you’ve got a heavy laptop, it’ll get you a hefty discount at this Tokyo Station pop-up.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • COK • computers • cool • crazy • food • fujitsu • laptops • technology • Tokyo Station • weird)
Bento bankruptcies increasing as Japan’s boxed lunch shops struggle in the new dining landscape
- Casey Baseel
Jun 12, 2025
Walls are closing in for boxed lunch shops, especially small and independent ones.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • food • restaurants • rice • rice prices • society)
Will frozen bento onigiri be Japan’s next big convenience store food trend?【Taste test】
- Elliot Hale
Feb 8, 2025
We try out three flavors to see if cramming an entire lunch into a rice ball is truly a genius idea or just another gimmick.
- Japan
- (bento onigiri • boxed lunches • COK • frozen food • obento • onigiri • rice balls • SNJO • taste test)
Japanese convenience stores have tasty, diet-friendly meals, like these three under 500 calories
- Casey Baseel
Jan 16, 2025
If you’ve gained some unintended weight over the holidays, believe it or not, Japanese convenience stores are a great place to start your diet.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • COK • convenience stores • diet • Family mart • food • health • instant noodles)
Is downtown Tokyo’s crazy cheap 290-yen bento boxed lunch shop still around, and is it still cheap?
- Casey Baseel
Oct 21, 2024
Mr. Sato goes to check on Nihamaru Bento in Shin Okubo.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • cheap • cheap eats • cheap food • COK • crazy • food • restaurants • Shin-Okubo • SNJO)
Japanese sake brewery helps to create a stunning bento meal
- Oona McGee
Jul 19, 2024
Centuries of brewing experience makes traditional Japanese food taste better than ever before.
- Japan
- (bento • boxed lunches • COK • fish • food • Japanese food • Japanese supermarkets • Kunimare • mackerel • obento • saba • sake • sake brewery • SNJO • supermarket food • supermarkets • taste test)
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Recent Posts
- Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
- This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
- Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
- Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
- Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Tokyo Skytree set to offer breathtaking Diamond Fuji natural phenomenon view this month
Weekly
- Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
- Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises- Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Life-size Monster Hunter dragon statues to be built at Japanese shopping mall
Studio Ghibli homeware brand’s faux oil lamp brings light, smiles, and Kiki’s Jiji to your home
Modern exosuits are opening up ancient Japanese castle climbs to everyone
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Starbucks Japan releases “Let’s Par-TEA!” Frappuccino and drinks for the holiday season
Cold Stone is closing its final branch in all of east Japan, but it’s going down singing
Monthly
Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia- Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
What’s it like to stay in a Japanese container hotel?- Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
Studio Ghibli creates illustrated Kyoto sightseeing map, available at any 7-Eleven Japan store- Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
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RECOMMENDED STORIES
This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Tokyo Skytree set to offer breathtaking Diamond Fuji natural phenomenon view this month
Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
This semi-secret, totally free footbath in downtown Tokyo is completely awesome
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Life-size Monster Hunter dragon statues to be built at Japanese shopping mall
Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
Pokémon guitars from Fender Japan come with 8-bit sound mode for covering retro game music [Vid]
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
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