The picture above is pretty similar to an average American style lunch box, which includes staples, such as a sandwich with deli meat, and easy to handle fruit. However, you may be surprised to find that Japanese style lunch boxes are much more elaborate, and include food such as fried chicken, snap peas, and baked fish!
Character bentos, or Character lunches, have risen in popularity overseas, and I'm sure you've seen the cute Rilakkuma or Pikachu shaped rice on a bed of lettuce and surrounded by healthy foods. Although I can't say all Japanese parents pack such elaborate lunches for their children, I am challenging myself to create a cute lunch box for my daughter.
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| My first attempt/trial. Don't mind the furikake, it's just for the photo! |
Since we are now firmly in spring, it's the perfect time to go on a picnic and eat good food while enjoying the outdoors. I made my first "bento" for my daughter a few weeks ago, and would like to share just how much start-up material was needed to get started!
Below, you'll find the English and Japanese for the most popular and useful items needed to pack your own "character bento".
Arguably the most important item is the lunchbox, or bento bako. There are tons of shapes, sizes, and designs, such as Pokemon, Anpanman, and The Hungry Caterpillar, so you won't have to worry about finding one your little one would like. I chose Miffy even though my daughter loves Anpanman. I think she'll soon grow out of Anpanman, and Miffy would be a neutral bridge until she gets into something else.
In addition to the lunch box, you can find matching containers to hold sliced fruits or other side dishes or sauces.
You can also find a matching utensil set to match the lunch box as well. I went for a chopstick, fork, and spoon combo set that comes in a case, but I removed the chopsticks because she's not yet ready for them yet. I love how the case neatly holds the utensils, making it super convenient to use! You can find sets for just chopsticks or sets that come without a case.
The lunch box would be complete if there was a lunch bag or a bento bako fukuro. You can usually find a set that includes the bag for the lunch box, a bag for a cup, and also a lunch mat/cloth. I opted for just the bag, which is, of course, Anpanman. The little drawstrings keep things neatly inside, and there is also a place to write the child's name.
Finally, the hand towel or oshibori. You can wet the hand towel beforehand and put it conveniently in the case. When it's time to eat or when your child is finished eating, they can use the towel to wipe their hands or mouth. It's super convenient for a picnic.
Now that you have the materials to store the lunch, now you need some materials to jazz the food inside up!
They key to getting those perfectly curated character lunches are with molds and cutters, partitions, and cute food picks!
The most important molds are the rice molds or onigiri kata! All you need to do is put the rice inside the mold and push or shake, and voila and perfectly shaped onigiri pops out!
If you'd like to make sure each side dish is perfectly separated, invest in okazu cups (Looks like cupcake holders), that comes in a variety of materials, such as disposable paper ones or reusable silicone ones. It's also good to invest in partitions, called balan too. Finally, if you don't want your lunch sticking to the top of your lunch box, buying bento sheets, which also serve as an antibacterial sheet as well.
Finally, lunch picks are a great way to jazz up the lunch, and keep hands tidy. If your child is prone to putting anything in their mouth, besides food, I'd skip these until a bit older.
My favorite places to buy these materials are on Amazon, at Nishimatsuya, Toys 'R' Us, and Bookoff!
Now you're ready to start on your character lunch journey. I hope to make an Anpanman one soon, and I'll report back on how it went!
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