Japanese "ekiben" box lunches sold at railroad stations will soon be making the long journey to Switzerland for train commuters to try there. Three long-established train lunch makers in Japan ...

As if to make up for the lost opportunities, ekiben products now feature at department stores and supermarkets. But it’s not the same as grabbing a bento at the station and tucking into the ...

I. The Rice of Time (Origins & Early History)Before the lacquered boxes, before the neatly packed parcels, there was simply hoshi-ii — dried rice, carried by 12th-century samurai and travellers. A ...

In Nagaoka, there's an ekiben shaped by layers of tradition, featuring chicken meatballs with local chili, 100-year-old abura-age, thrice-pickled eggplants in miso and more, each with their own story.

01:36 And actually, it holds a significant connection to today's ekiben. 01:45 Alright, let's take a train on the JR San-in Line to the city of Matsue to find this ekiben. Quality rice has long ...