This bento lunch box has four separate parts: two rectangular containers for food with rounded corners, one loose piece of wood for separating types of food, and a lid. The box has a visible horizontal grain throughout. The bento is made of cedar (sugi in Japanese), joined with cherry wood, and is typical of northern Japan.
A bento (or o-bento) is a traditional Japanese lunch box. Bento boxes usually have several compartments to hold rice, fish or meat, and pickled or cooked vegetables, and can be disposable lunch boxes purchased from convenience stores, functional plastic or metal contemporary boxes packed at home, or decorative and elaborately crafted bento of lacquer or another fine material. Arranging food in bento has become an art/cultural trend: kyaraben ("character bento") are made to resemble popular anime or manga characters, and oekakiben ("picture bento") are arranged to illustrate an image.
