Bullet-Train Bentos

Bullet-Train Bentos

The another joy of getting on the JR’s bullet trains “Shinkansen” is definitely a bento.

We, Japanese also call a bento, “ekiben”.

The fastest trains with 200- 300 km/h, Shinkansen always attract children, and also foreign visitors to Japan as many of them do not have bullet trains in their countries.

When I was a child, I always asked my parents to go to station to see bullet trains. I also remember getting on a bullet train was the wonderful time when traveling.

Getting on the bullet train is fun, but also eating a bento on the bullet train is nowadays a must thing to do for many people.

I would like to remind you that eating a bento is not common in regular train lines, like on short distance trains of JR, metro, or other private companies’ lines. Normal trains do not have tables for having a bento.

You can only enjoy a bento when getting on a bullet train or a long-distance limited express trains.

Here are some tips about having a bento on JR’s bullet trains.

Bullet-train bentos are usually sold at stations where bullet trains stop. Those station are usually bigger than normal JR stations where huge amount of comings and goings of people happen.

You have so many different kinds of options for choosing the favorite one. JR stations sell more than tens of kinds of bentos from seafood, meet, vegetable, and others.

Here are some tips about bullet-train bentos

More than 200 kinds of bentos

In tokyo stations, more than 200 kinds of bentos are sold, and it takes a while as you can not choose the best one from those many choices.

Unique bentos including the local specialty foods.

Each different bullet train stations usually sells unique bentos including the local specialty foods.

※Because Tokyo is located in very middle of Japan, Tokyo station pretty much covers many different kinds of bentos of other major cities.

No microwave for heating

It might be strange, but we do not heat bentos after the purchase. We eat it with a normal temperature.

Do not expect that the bento store has a microwave for heating or neither on a bullet train.

Recommended bento

Finally, my favorite and recommended bento at Tokyo station is this if you like meat like BBQ meat.

Yakiniku bento with “Kuroge Wagyu”.

You could also look at this site for top ranked bentos below though the site is written in Japanese.

https://tokyo-calendar.jp/article/5139

If you have any questions, please let me know.