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Meet your hosts!

Marc Matsumoto
Marc Matsumoto

Marc Matsumoto is a private chef, culinary consultant and TV presenter with a base of clients around the world. Born in Japan, and raised between the US and Australia, Marc developed an early love for travel and a broad palette of global flavors. He believes that by making wholesome delicious food accessible to people of all backgrounds, the world becomes a better place.

Maki Ogawa
Maki Ogawa

Maki Ogawa's books have been translated into three languages and are sold around the world. Yum Yum Bento Box is credited with starting the recent bento boom. She also loves to post pictures and recipes on social networks like Facebook and Instagram and she's been featured by news outlets from around the world. Many of her bento ideas come about when she's cooking for her two sons. Fans love her delicious, easy-to-make, kawaii bento ideas!

Bento Recipes

Glazed Fried Tofu Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 4 / Season 9.
Glazed Fried Tofu Bento
(528 kcal)
Marc Matsumotoby Marc Matsumoto

Bento contents:

  • Glazed tofu
  • 16-grain rice
  • Fava beans
  • Snap peas
  • Asparagus
  • Pea sprouts
  • Cherries

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

  • 350 g block of firm tofu
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp potato starch
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 7 g garlic
  • 100 g enoki mushrooms, trimmed and cut in half
  • 60 g shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 scallion, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Slice the tofu into 8 square pieces (quartered vertically and halved horizontally). Sprinkle evenly with salt and let the tofu drain on a rack lined with several sheets of paper towels.

2. Pat the tofu dry and then dust on all sides with the potato starch.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu, leaving space between each piece so it doesn't stick together.

4. When the tofu is browned on one side, flip it over and brown the other side.

5. Remove the tofu from the pan, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Stir-fry until the mushrooms have browned.

6. Add the ketchup, sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine.

7. Return the tofu to the pan and flip repeatedly to glaze with the sauce.

8. Garnish the glazed tofu with chopped scallions.

Pork Ketchup Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 4 / Season 9.
Pork Ketchup Bento
(925 kcal)
Watanabe Akikoby Watanabe Akiko

Bento contents:

  • Pork Ketchup
  • Sautéed potatoes
  • Salad
  • Noriben (nori on rice)
  • Green Beans with Sesame Dressing
  • Apricots in syrup

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

For the Pork Ketchup

  • 200 g pork loin (1 cm thick)
  • 100 g onion
  • A pinch of salt
  • A pinch of pepper
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 80 g ketchup
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

For the Sauteed Potatoes

  • 1 potato (130 g)
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil)

For the Salad

  • 2 butterhead lettuce leaves
  • 6-8 cherry tomatoes
  • 20 g cheese

For the Noriben (nori on rice)

  • 300-400 g cooked rice
  • 1/2 sheet nori
  • 4 tbsp katsuobushi shavings
  • 1/2 tsp soy sauce

For the Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

  • 8 green beans (40 g)
  • 1 tsp ground white sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp sugar

For the Apricots in Syrup

  • 4 dried apricots
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp water

Directions:

For Pork Ketchup and potatoes

1. Cut the onion into 5 mm slices. Cut the potato into 1 cm thick slices and then into 1 cm wide sticks. Place on a flat plate and sprinkle with 1 tbsp water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes.

2. Cut the pork into 4 cm long, 1 cm wide pieces. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and dust with flour.

3. Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan, brown the potatoes, and remove.

4. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan and sauté the pork and onions over medium heat. Once the bottom of the pork is brown, turn over and reduce the heat to low. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and stir while reducing the sauce.

For salad

Remove the stems from the tomatoes and tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces.

For the Noriben

Pack the rice evenly. Mix the katsuobushi and soy sauce and sprinkle over the rice. Top with 2 cm square pieces of nori.

For the Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

Remove the strings from the beans and cut into 4 cm lengths.
Place on a flat plate and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Set aside to cool, then dress with ground white sesame seeds and soy sauce.

For the Apricots in Syrup

Place the dried apricots, sugar, and water in a heat-resistant dish. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 30 seconds.

Bento Topics: Shodoshima Island, Kagawa
BENTO TOPICS
from Episode 4/ Season 9.
Shodoshima Island, Kagawa
  • BENTO TOPICS. Today, from the island of Shodoshima in the Seto Inland Sea. In the Hitoyama District, a traditional performing art called farmer’s kabuki has been going strong for over 300 years. Every year, the entire community pitches in to put on a spectacular performance.

    BENTO TOPICS. Today, from the island of Shodoshima in the Seto Inland Sea. In the Hitoyama District, a traditional performing art called farmer’s kabuki has been going strong for over 300 years. Every year, the entire community pitches in to put on a spectacular performance.

  • Another festival tradition is to enjoy a special bento called warigo bento between acts. Specially designed wooden boxes are nestled together to fit in one large crate like a puzzle. Sasaki Ikuo is the Chairman of a local farmer’s kabuki preservation society. His family’s warigo bento box was made over 180 years ago.

    Another festival tradition is to enjoy a special bento called warigo bento between acts. Specially designed wooden boxes are nestled together to fit in one large crate like a puzzle. Sasaki Ikuo is the Chairman of a local farmer’s kabuki preservation society. His family’s warigo bento box was made over 180 years ago.

  • The main feature of the warigo bento is the tsuki-meshi, cube-shaped rice made by packing rice into a special mold. Sasaki’s granddaughter, Akari, began helping out last year. She’s a fast learner.

    The main feature of the warigo bento is the tsuki-meshi, cube-shaped rice made by packing rice into a special mold. Sasaki’s granddaughter, Akari, began helping out last year. She’s a fast learner.

  • Other typical foods include vegetables simmered in a sweet and savory dashi. Sasaki’s family makes eight different kinds, including bamboo shoots, lotus roots, and other local produce.

    Other typical foods include vegetables simmered in a sweet and savory dashi. Sasaki’s family makes eight different kinds, including bamboo shoots, lotus roots, and other local produce.

  • TAkari’s favorites are tamagoyaki and and kara-age. Today, they've made enough for 16 people! The colorful warigo bento is a perfect festival food.

    Akari’s favorites are tamagoyaki and and kara-age. Today, they've made enough for 16 people! The colorful warigo bento is a perfect festival food.

  • Each family brings along a warigo bento to eat while enjoying the annual farmer’s kabuki, a time-honored festival tradition.

    Each family brings along a warigo bento to eat while enjoying the annual farmer’s kabuki, a time-honored festival tradition.

Morioka Jajamen Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 3 / Season 9.
Morioka Jajamen Bento
(696 kcal)
Marc Matsumotoby Marc Matsumoto

Bento contents:

  • Jajamen
  • Extra niku-miso
  • Cucumber
  • Pickles (cabbage, cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, onion and celery)

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

  • 2 servings cooked udon (420 g cooked noodles)
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 60 g onion, finely diced
  • 5 g garlic, grated
  • 5 g ginger, grated
  • 130 g ground pork
  • 30 g ground black sesame seeds
  • 1 dried shiitake mushroom, grated into powder
  • 3 tbsp miso
  • 3 tbsp sake
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1 scallion, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook the udon noodles according to the package directions.

2. To make the niku-miso, add the toasted sesame oil, onions, garlic, and ginger to a frying pan and sauté the onions until they are tender.

3. Add the ground pork and stir-fry while breaking up any clumps with the side of a spatula.

4. When the pork is cooked, add the ground sesame seeds and shiitake mushroom powder and sauté until the sesame is fragrant.

5. Add the miso, sake, and sugar and cook until the niku-miso no longer smells like alcohol and has formed into a thick paste. Set aside a few tablespoons of niku-miso to use as a topping.

6. When the udon noodles are done, transfer them directly to the pan with the meat mixture using tongs. Stir the udon into the niku-miso, adding some of the boiling water from the udon if the noodles start sticking together.

7. Serve the Jajamen topped with the reserved niku-miso, julienned cucumber, and chopped scallions.

Maki-maki Flower Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 3 / Season 9.
Soba Inari Bento
(726 kcal)
Maki Ogawaby Maki Ogawa

Bento contents:

  • Soba Inari
  • Snap peas
  • Carrots cut into flowers
  • amagoyaki cut into flowers
  • Fish decoration (crab sticks, sliced cheese, nori)

Ingredients:

  • 120 g dry soba noodles
  • 6 seasoned inari tofu pouches
  • 3 crab sticks
  • 3 snap peas
  • 3 slices boiled carrot
  • 1-2 slices tamagoyaki
  • A piece of sliced cheese
  • A piece of nori
  • 2 tsp white sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp sushi vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Boil a pot of water. Add the soba and boil for 1 minute less than instructed on the package.

2. Drain the soba and rinse under cold water. Drain well.

3. Place the soba in a bowl and mix with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and white sesame seeds.

4. Open an inari pouch and place in the palm of one hand.

5. Scoop up a portion of soba with a fork and twirl, using a flat surface such as a cutting board, and stuff into the pouch. Repeat the process for the remaining pouches.

6. Place in the bento box.

7. Cut the snap peas diagonally in half.

8. Cut out the boiled carrot and tamagoyaki with a flower-shaped cookie cutter.

9. Make a V-shaped slit in each crab stick to form a fish shape.

10. Use a tiny round cookie cutter or straw to cut out circles from the cheese. Use a nori puncher to cut out circles from the nori.

11. Place the cheese and nori on the crab sticks to form the eyes.

12. Top the Inari Soba with the carrot and tamagoyaki flowers as well as the snap peas.

13. Place the fish decorations near the Inari Soba.

14. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds as desired.

Iwate Special
from Episode 3/ Season 9.
  • Today’s Bento Expo features Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. Its capital Morioka is a beautiful city chosen by the New York Times as the second-best ”Place to Go” in 2023. Ahatjan and Hamida are from the Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. They both studied at Iwate University’s grad school and have been based here for about 15 years. Hamida starts the day by making bentos for her sons. They’re Muslim, so she uses only Halal foods. Today she’s making Polo, a traditional Uyghur dish of rice cooked with mutton and vegetables. Her sons give it five stars!

    Today’s Bento Expo features Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. Its capital Morioka is a beautiful city chosen by the New York Times as the second-best "Place to Go" in 2023. Ahatjan and Hamida are from the Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. They both studied at Iwate University's grad school and have been based here for about 15 years. Hamida starts the day by making bentos for her sons. They’re Muslim, so she uses only Halal foods.
    Today she’s making Polo, a traditional Uyghur dish of rice cooked with mutton and vegetables. Her sons give it five stars!

  • Now, a look at the bentos made by a group of Vietnamese men who work at a pipe manufacturing and installation company in Kitakami. (From left to right: Huy, Tu, Trung, Manager Takahashi, Cong, and Long) Trung and Cong have been working here for three years. They’ve mastered pipe welding and complex machining techniques. They've also gained the trust of their plant manager. He’s entrusted them to teach three new recruits from Vietnam. In the future, these men hope to work as plumbers in Vietnam. What keeps them going are the Vietnamese bentos they make together every day. The bentos also keep the new recruits from becoming homesick.

    Now, a look at the bentos made by a group of Vietnamese men who work at a pipe manufacturing and installation company in Kitakami.
    (From left to right: Huy, Tu, Trung, Manager Takahashi, Cong, and Long)
    Trung and Cong have been working here for three years. They’ve mastered pipe welding and complex machining techniques. They've also gained the trust of their plant manager. He’s entrusted them to teach three new recruits from Vietnam. In the future, these men hope to work as plumbers in Vietnam. What keeps them going are the Vietnamese bentos they make together every day. The bentos also keep the new recruits from becoming homesick.

  • Our final destination is a hotel in Hanamaki which boasts some of the best onsen or hot springs in northeastern Japan. Last year, over 80 percent of the hotel’s international guests were from Taiwan. One of the people responsible for this trend is Chen. She’s been working in sales for the past eight years and has been conveying the charm of Hanamaki to Taiwan. Her Japanese boss and colleagues think highly of her and her role in forging ties between Taiwan and Japan.

    Our final destination is a hotel in Hanamaki which boasts some of the best onsen or hot springs in northeastern Japan. Last year, over 80 percent of the hotel’s international guests were from Taiwan. One of the people responsible for this trend is Chen. She’s been working in sales for the past eight years and has been conveying the charm of Hanamaki to Taiwan. Her Japanese boss and colleagues think highly of her and her role in forging ties between Taiwan and Japan.

  • Every Wednesday, the couple run a food truck which they take to their alma mater to sell homemade doner kebabs. The grilled chicken is seasoned Uyghur-style with lots of cumin. The couple are grateful to Iwate University for their experiences there over the years, so the truck is their way of giving back. The tasty kebabs are a hit not only with Muslim students, who appreciate being able to eat Halal bentos, but also with Japanese students who get to enjoy food from a different culture for an affordable price.

    Every Wednesday, the couple run a food truck which they take to their alma mater to sell homemade doner kebabs. The grilled chicken is seasoned Uyghur-style with lots of cumin. The couple are grateful to Iwate University for their experiences there over the years, so the truck is their way of giving back. The tasty kebabs are a hit not only with Muslim students, who appreciate being able to eat Halal bentos, but also with Japanese students who get to enjoy food from a different culture for an affordable price.

  • Today, they’re making a lot of food to share with coworkers: Vietnamese spring rolls, sweet and sour pork and egg stew, and local fish in tomato sauce. Trung says regardless of nationality, all people like eating good food together. He says his Japanese colleagues often share their bentos with him. Judging from the smiles on everyone’s faces, today’s Vietnamese bento time is a big success. Everyone is recharged and ready to put in more work in the afternoon.

    Today, they’re making a lot of food to share with coworkers: Vietnamese spring rolls, sweet and sour pork and egg stew, and local fish in tomato sauce. Trung says regardless of nationality, all people like eating good food together. He says his Japanese colleagues often share their bentos with him. Judging from the smiles on everyone’s faces, today’s Vietnamese bento time is a big success. Everyone is recharged and ready to put in more work in the afternoon.

  • Today is Chen's day off, and she’s organizing a picnic with coworkers. She starts by making Taiwanese pork belly. She simmers it in soy sauce, sugar, and rice shochu for over three hours, just the way her mother taught her. The best way to enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and sauce is over rice. She makes other Taiwanese home-style dishes including two stir-fries and a salad. Enjoying a picnic with her colleagues is a great way to relax and refuel!

    Today is Chen's day off, and she’s organizing a picnic with coworkers. She starts by making Taiwanese pork belly. She simmers it in soy sauce, sugar, and rice shochu for over three hours, just the way her mother taught her. The best way to enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and sauce is over rice. She makes other Taiwanese home-style dishes including two stir-fries and a salad. Enjoying a picnic with her colleagues is a great way to relax and refuel!

Pork Kimchi Don Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 2 / Season 9.
Pork Kimchi Don Bento
(833 kcal)
Marc Matsumotoby Marc Matsumoto

Bento contents:

  • Pork Kimchi
  • Rice
  • Boiled egg
  • Banana
  • Pineapple
  • Strawberries
  • Frill lettuce

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

  • 130 g thinly sliced pork belly, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 tbsp sake
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp potato starch
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 125 g kimchi (weighed after squeezing)
  • 75 ml kimchi juice (squeezed from kimchi)
  • 50 g garlic chives (chopped into 2-inch lengths)

Directions:

1. Add the sake, soy sauce, and potato starch to the pork belly and mix it in well with your hands.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat until hot, then add the toasted sesame oil and marinated pork belly. Use chopsticks to stir-fry the pork while separating any clumps.

3. When the pork has started to brown, add the kimchi and continue stir-frying until the kimchi starts to brown.

4. Add the garlic chives and stir-fry until they wilt, then pour in the kimchi juice. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens up slightly.

5. Serve over rice.

Citrus Pork Teriyaki Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 2 / Season 9.
Citrus Pork Teriyaki Bento
(1050 kcal)
Takahashi Yoshiroby Takahashi Yoshiro

Bento contents:

  • Citrus Pork Teriyaki
  • Onigiri with walnuts, tuna, and edamame
  • Frill lettuce
  • Strawberries
  • Cucumber
  • Hard-boiled egg
  • Shiso leaves
  • Japanese pumpkin salad
  • Shredded carrot salad
  • Spinach with sesame sauce
  • Chervil

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

  • 150 g thinly sliced pork belly
  • 1 pink grapefruit
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 tsp olive oil

【A】

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp grated garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cut the pork belly into 3-4 cm pieces. Pour boiling water into a heat-resistant bowl and swish the slices to blanch. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Peel the grapefruit and segment. Cut the onion across the grain into thin slices.

2. Heat the frying pan, coat in oil, and stir-fry the pork until brown.

3. Add the onions and stir-fry until wilted. Mix【A】and add to the pan along with the grapefruit. Simmer to thicken and plate.

Bento Topics: Thailand
BENTO TOPICS
from Episode 2/ Season 9.
Thailand
  • Bento Topics. Today, from Thailand, where canals and waterways have played a major role in daily life since long ago. About 80 kilometers from the capital of Bangkok is a traditional floating market popular with both locals and tourists.

    Bento Topics. Today, from Thailand, where canals and waterways have played a major role in daily life since long ago.
    About 80 kilometers from the capital of Bangkok is a traditional floating market popular with both locals and tourists.

  • Vendors offer everything from locally grown tropical fruits to mouth-watering dishes prepared on board. One of the most popular dishes is a specialty of the Ratchaburi region. Rice topped with chicken, blood curd, shrimp, and more.

    Vendors offer everything from locally grown tropical fruits to mouth-watering dishes prepared on board.
    One of the most popular dishes is a specialty of the Ratchaburi region. Rice topped with chicken, blood curd, shrimp, and more.

  • Ton rows his boat at this market. He started out when he was 15 and has been rowing boats for tourists for the past 16 years. He recharges with bentos made by his wife and mother.

    Ton rows his boat at this market. He started out when he was 15 and has been rowing boats for tourists for the past 16 years. He recharges with bentos made by his wife and mother.

  • Nam phrik is a spicy sauce that’s a staple in Thai cuisine. It’s packed with the umami of dried chili, shrimp paste, lemongrass, and spices. Ton’s mother is handing her famous recipe down to Ton’s wife.

    Nam phrik is a spicy sauce that’s a staple in Thai cuisine. It’s packed with the umami of dried chili, shrimp paste, lemongrass, and spices.
    Ton’s mother is handing her famous recipe down to Ton’s wife.

  • For today’s bento, they’re making a stir-fry with nam phrik, coconut sugar, pork, and green beans. Also, a dish of pork and boiled eggs simmered in soy sauce and seasoned with Chinese five-spice.

    For today’s bento, they’re making a stir-fry with nam phrik, coconut sugar, pork, and green beans.
    Also, a dish of pork and boiled eggs simmered in soy sauce and seasoned with Chinese five-spice.

  • A hearty bento of rice and Ton’s favorite dishes, packed with love. These familiar flavors will give him the energy to work all day.

    A hearty bento of rice and Ton’s favorite dishes, packed with love. These familiar flavors will give him the energy to work all day.

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 1 / Season 9.
Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich Bento
(999 kcal)
Marc Matsumotoby Marc Matsumoto

Bento contents:

  • Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich
  • Apples
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Snap peas
  • Frill lettuce

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

  • 50 g mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 220 g cooked chicken breast meat, cut into 15 mm cubes
  • 45 g apples, 6 mm dice
  • 35 g celery, 3 mm dice
  • 25 g walnuts, chopped
  • 2 leaves of lettuce, cut in half
  • 4 small buns, about 8 cm in diameter

Directions:

1. Mix the mayonnaise, curry powder, and black pepper together to distribute evenly.

2. Add the cooked chicken, apples, celery, and walnuts, and fold everything together.

3. Cut the buns open, then stuff each one with half a lettuce leaf and a quarter of the chicken salad mixture.

Sweet Chili Chicken Tatsuta Bento
BENTO RECIPES
from Episode 1 / Season 9.
Sweet Chili Chicken Tatsuta Bento
(1331 kcal)
Takahashi Yoshiroby Takahashi Yoshiro

Bento contents:

  • Sweet Chili Chicken Tatsuta
  • Lemon wedges
  • Frill lettuce
  • Boiled broccoli
  • Boiled carrot
  • Apple
  • Potato salad
  • Japanese rolled omelet with dashi
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Italian parsley

Makes enough to pack into 2 bentos

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken breast (250 g)
  • Approx. 3 tbsp potato starch
  • Vegetable oil, as needed

【A】

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tsp grated ginger

【B】

  • 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp grain mustard
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Lay the blade at an angle and cut the chicken breast (skin on) into 1 cm thick slices. Place in a food storage bag and lightly pound with a rolling pin. Add【A】and lightly massage, then set aside in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. You can also let the chicken marinate overnight.

2. Drain the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and coat with potato starch.

3. Pour oil into a frying pan so that it’s about 5 mm high and place over heat. Add the chicken, avoiding overlap, and shallow-fry over medium-high heat for about 90 seconds. Flip over and fry for 90 more seconds. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and drain.

4. Combine【B】in a bowl, add the chicken, and mix to coat evenly. Then pack into your bento box.

Bento Topics: Hyogo
BENTO TOPICS
from Episode 1/ Season 9.
Hyogo
  • Bento Topics. Today, from the mountainous region of Tajima in northern Hyogo Prefecture. One of its major tourist attractions is the mysterious Takeda Castle. The 400-year-old ruins appear to be floating on a sea of clouds, which is why it’s nicknamed “The Castle in the Sky.”

    Bento Topics. Today, from the mountainous region of Tajima in northern Hyogo Prefecture.
    One of its major tourist attractions is the mysterious Takeda Castle. The 400-year-old ruins appear to be floating on a sea of clouds, which is why it’s nicknamed “The Castle in the Sky.”

  • Tajima cattle, one of the seedstock of Kobe beef and other world-famous wagyu, flourish in this rich natural environment. Its excellent pedigree has been preserved for over a century through exclusive breeding. The biggest appeal of Tajima beef is its exceptional marbling and sweet flavor.

    Tajima cattle, one of the seedstock of Kobe beef and other world-famous wagyu, flourish in this rich natural environment. Its excellent pedigree has been preserved for over a century through exclusive breeding. The biggest appeal of Tajima beef is its exceptional marbling and sweet flavor.

  • Wadayama Station is the terminus for Tajima. Nearby is a family-run ekiben shop that’s been in business for nearly 120 years. It’s now in the hands of the fourth generation, two brothers. The store specializes in bentos featuring Tajima beef. Over the years, it’s come up with over 10 original bentos.

    Wadayama Station is the terminus for Tajima. Nearby is a family-run ekiben shop that’s been in business for nearly 120 years. It’s now in the hands of the fourth generation, two brothers.
    The store specializes in bentos featuring Tajima beef. Over the years, it’s come up with over 10 original bentos.

  • Its signature beef kamameshi bento is cooked in a traditional ceramic pot. The locally harvested rice is cooked in dashi mildly seasoned with local soy sauce to bring out the flavor of the beef.

    Its signature beef kamameshi bento is cooked in a traditional ceramic pot.
    The locally harvested rice is cooked in dashi mildly seasoned with local soy sauce to bring out the flavor of the beef.

  • The Tajima beef that goes on top of the rice is cooked in a sweet and savory dashi with local soy sauce to concentrate the flavor. The rice soaks up the delicious beef flavor and is mouth-wateringly good.

    The Tajima beef that goes on top of the rice is cooked in a sweet and savory dashi with local soy sauce to concentrate the flavor.
    The rice soaks up the delicious beef flavor and is mouth-wateringly good.

  • Because the rice is cooked over direct heat, the bottom is charred and crisp, enhancing the fragrance and texture. The bento is topped with other local specialties such as black soybeans and seafood. This delicious bento showcases the best of the Tajima region. *This bento is available through reservation only

    Because the rice is cooked over direct heat, the bottom is charred and crisp, enhancing the fragrance and texture.
    The bento is topped with other local specialties such as black soybeans and seafood. This delicious bento showcases the best of the Tajima region.

    *This bento is available through reservation only

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