Ekiben are special not only for the delicious regional foods within but also for lovely artwork on the protective paper wrappers.

Tsuyoshi Uesugi has colleted over 6000 ekiben wrappers over his years of train travel in Japan and has created a website (in Japanese) showcasing his collection and has also published in a book titled “Ekiben Kakegami Monogatari” (Station box meal cover paper story) that organizes the wrappers by rail routes and describes the significance of the regional designs and the contents of the ekiben. Asahi.com reports that he looks forward to monthly railway trips throughout Japan, where he eats 5-6 ekiben a day, and enjoys adding to his collection by searching out old wrappers at antique shops.

Uyesugi’s collection includes wrappers dating back to 1900′s and the artwork on some is very simple and on others very graphic and stunning.  The paper wrapper pictured above dates back to 1968 and features the logo of the the Osaka International Exhibition EXPO70, the distinctive diamond logo of the Japanese National Railways that operated from 1949-1987 and represents a the one hundred year anniversary of the start of the Meiji Era (1868 – 1912) when Japan first opened its doors to the west.

The artist behind this ekiben wrapper managed to capture the contrast between Commodore Perry’s blackship that entered Yokohama Bay in July of 1853 and the modern Shinkansen train in a striking graphic image that pays homage to the amazing modernization that occurred in Japan during and after the Meiji Era.

While the outside of the ekiben wrappers are beautiful and reflect regional scenes for many of us its what’s inside that counts – the food!  On the right is an ekiben purchased in Matsumoto featuring local fish and seafood, picked vegetables and other ingredient atop a bed of rice.

Today you can visit the Ekiben Room online to peruse images of eki bento available at train stations across Japan.  In a nod to Uyesugi and others like him they showcase not only the wrapper but the variety of shapes and sizes of the bento boxes and the contents of each regional ekiben on a clickable map of Japan.

Image Credit: Ekibento.jp, nos-ueno1 & Flickr, eki-bento

Just last Saturday, I made my first visit to Shinjuku Gyoen and found the spring flowers of Japan starting to bloom.  The grass hadn’t even turned green but  photographers surrounded the few cherry blossom trees that had overcome the cool spring weather to show their delicate pink  blooms.

This lovely young Japanese woman was having her picture taken in front of the Old Imperial Rest House (Shinjuku Gyoen map) in the park and was dressed in a kimono decorated with waves of sakura (cherry blossoms) along the base and sleeves.  She completed her traditional attire with a gold obi and added a modern touch with flowers in her soft flowing curls.

Despite the weather, a few people were relaxing and enjoying bento (boxed lunches) in the park.  The couple below chose a perfect spot to ponder the cherry blossoms don’t you think?

I enjoyed my stroll through the Shinjuku Gyoen and found it to be an oasis of calm in a very busy part of Tokyo.  The cherry blossoms and the young woman in the kimono were a bonus…

Bento Boxes

Grocery Stores and konbini (convenience store) usually have a selection of pre-made bento boxes that average around US$5 or less.  A large portion of rice and a selection of seafood and/or meat are usually available or you could try a refreshing zaru soba (cold soba noodles) bento in the summer.

How about a tasty selection of assorted sushi or sashimi for less that US$6?

Noodles

Hanamaru Udon (English on signs read ‘Manmaru’) is a fast food Udon (thick wheat based noodle ) chain that operates 187 restaurants throughout Japan and  serves over 2.5 millions customers each month.

Hanamaru offers an English menu, but the picture menu will suffice if you are an adventurous eater that is not afraid of a mystery ingredient or two.  If that’s not you then try the kake udon (plain, pictured above) starting around US$2 or bukake udon (with lemon) for approximately US$3 and supplement it with a selection of ala carte tempura or onigiri (rice balls) many sstarting at under US $1 per piece  The Curry Rice Set of the Beef Bowl  both include a small bowl of udon in broth and will satisfy heartier appetites for under US$6.

A tasty and filling lunch or dinner for two can be had for between US$10-15 at Hanamaru Udon.

For those who prefer ramen noodles, pop into a local shop or Ippudo Ramen and join the salarymen and women for a similar experience – this time with a pork based broth and thinner noodles all for around US$8.

Donburi

Donburi is a one bowl meal where a large portion of rice is topped with vegetables, sashimi, meat or tempura and drizzled with a savoury sauce.  My favorite is the ebi-tempura don which usually sells for around US$8.

Top it all off with a One Cup Sake that can be purchased for around US$2 and you’re all set to eat like a samurai for under US$10!

Image Credit:  Personal Collection Flickr, Cheap dinner, Ramen Museum, Yokohama, DSC_2665 & Sake, single serving.