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Bento is a single-portion meal common in Japanese cuisine. Bento are generally home-cooked, but can be found in convenience stores, bento shops, railway stations and department stores. People who make bento at home spend time and energy on a carefully prepared lunch box for a spouse, child or themselves. They traditionally contain rice, fish or meat with pickled or cooked vegetables. There are also Kyaraben and Oekakiben style of Bento. Kyaraben is a style in which bento are elaborately arranged typically to look like popular characters from anime, manga or video games. Oekakiben (picture bento) is bento designed to look like people, animals, buildings or plants. There are even contests for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement of Oekakiben.
-Heidi Pohl
-Heidi Pohl