Nestlé have recently launched a cute new site called "Bento Danshi Park" ( Lunch Box Boys' Park) that allows visitors to take a peek inside the carefully prepared lunch boxed of the nation's salarymen. Feeding off the bento danshi trend that exploded last year, the site allows male users to upload photos of their packed lunches, which are then rated by other users.
The trend began with a string of media reports that stated modern men were more likely to bring a packed lunch to work for economic and health reasons. Proving that this wasn't all hot air. BP Net reported that Tokyu hands saw a significant rise sales of bento boxes specifically designed for men and that publishing companies also done well with recipe books for simple bento lunches. For exemple, last spring the publication of "Bokuben" (My Lunch Box) by matsuki kamizawa, a how-to book aimed at male readers, proved to be a big hit.
One of the coolest innovations to accompany the trend is the rise of the vertically stacking lunch box, which is specifically designed to fit into briefcases. The theory being that flat-bottomed lunch boxes will just get upended if they're put in alongside documents. This one from Metaphys is particularly cool and shows that the simplest bento can still be eaten with style.
Oh this is so beautiful !
ReplyDeleteMakes me hungry to see their bento..
Btw, in Paris there's a manga bookstore that sells bento boxes too.
It's called Komikku.
They hold bento contests once in a while and propose a wide range(in terms of Paris) of choice of popular(in terms of "gamme") bento boxes.
Go take a look.
Michelle