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 her married life, Matsuura developed an urge to make “kyara-ben” (character bento), or elaborate box lunches that feature cute characters, when her only son grew up to be a high school ...