駅弁 (Ekiben)

Ekiben

  • えきべん
  • Ekiben
  • Pitch 0
  • rice dishes

Meaning

駅弁 (えきべん, Ekiben) is Ekiben — a Japanese food (rice dishes).

What is Ekiben?

Ekiben are a specific type of bento boxed meals, sold on trains and train stations in Japan. They come with disposable chopsticks (when necessary) or spoons. Ekiben containers can be made from plastic, wood, or ceramic. Many train stations have become famous for their ekiben made from local food specialties. The word " ekiben " comes from " eki ", meaning railway station, and " ben ", which is short for bento (box meal). In the picture: a typical ¥1000 bento , bought from a bento store in Tokyo Terminal (2004).