Book review:

The takeaway lunches offered at Japanese train stations are something special to behold

Lunch boxes from train stations have been available ever since railways were introduced to Japan well over a century ago. Now, today’s local travellers, as well as tourists, can choose from an array of takeaway meals that have garnered their own renown. Looking as interesting as delicious, they are gastronomical and artistic offerings that are often as anticipated as the famous trains themselves.

Ekiben is a portmanteau of eki (train station) and “ben” for obento (packed lunch box). Intended for consumption on longer journeys, the thought and preparation behind some of them is remarkable. Like little gourmet souveniers, they often embody some speciality of the station’s region such as sushi featuring locally bred trout (Tobu Nikko station, Tochigi). Not just the food style and ingredients vary but so too do the boxes and packaging. Some very traditional cuisines use bamboo or persimmon leaf wrap or even the cylinder of an entire segment of bamboo. Others from areas known for their pottery include their ekiben in a small, reusable ceramic pot.

This handy but hunger-inducing book presents 56 different ekiben from stations all over Japan. Stations are organised geographically by region and a single station or prefecture may have more than one of their ekiben featured. A double page is given to each example and numerous photos are provided. The image coverage is comprehensive and consistently provides an image of the box or package, with and without wrapping and also images of the box closed and open and also the food content. Informational text includes a short blurb and details on the ekiben’s name, type of food and caveats on availability.

Probably the Rolls Royce of the examples in this book is an offering from Yonezawa Statiion, Yamagata. The meal itself includes a generous helping of local Yonezawa beef and the container is shaped like the face of a horned bull. When the lid is lifted off, the box will play an old folksong that was used on the PA system of an express service from the 60s.

Shelf: 596.4 TOM
Ekiben : the ultimate Japanese travel food : the box lunch you buy at the station and eat on the train.
by Aki Tomura.
Tokyo : IBC Publishing, 2015.
149 p. : colour illustrations, maps ; 18 cm.
Language notes: Text in English and abridged Japanese text at the end of the book.
ISBN: 978-4-7946-0336-4

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