Origional Blogg 2: Japanese Cultural Influences In America Through Online Creation of The Bento Box

When we think of a school lunch we often think of the stereotypical brown paper bag and carton designed plastic or medal box, often filled with a sandwich, apple, juice box, and small snack (maybe a yogurt or a cookie). This is the all American lunch sent from home. Over the years there has been some variations as to parents adding some fun and variety to the bags as well as what's inside. But all in all the same concept towards the brown paper lunch bag remains.

Via the web many American parents have grown fond of a Japanese tradition known as the bento box as a replacement to these bland paper bags. Bento boxes are based on design and meant to be appealing to the eye by manipulating the food to take the shape of things that appeal to your child. This can be cartoon characters or animals basically whatever it is that your child likes. American moms have begun this in order to have a more unique connection to their children.

In Japan 

In Japan mothers are encouraged to create visually appealing meals for young school children so that they will be enthusiastic enough to consume their whole meal. Basically the meal must look as good as it tastes. There are a set of codes that a successful Bento box or lunch box must adhere to. First none of the portions should be to big or to small, suggestion that the meal must be decentralized. The second code is that of opposition, colors shapes, and even textures should contrast one another. The third code is that nature should be represented by the meal not only through fresh, seasonal, and nutritional ingredients but in design as well. 


The state uses these boxes as a form of manipulation, which helps both socialize mother and children to the government’s likings. The children are socialized into the school system and instilled with the values of obedience and labor. This transition from school into the home is seen as a passage into the real world for the children where they are to leave the comfort of their home and enter the work force. They bring part of their mother’s homely warmth with them through these elaborate lunches. Little by little mothers are suppose to mix in ingredients the children do not particularly like, as to get them to forcefully adhere to the class rule that they must finish their whole box. This rule the teacher enforces and the pupil must follow, putting things that they do not like will teach them the lesson that life and work is not all about fun, and is often bland. 

Found Through Out The Web In American Parenting Magazines

Some of these ideas such as creativity and mothers warmth are often discussed in parenting magazines such as Moms Magazine, Parenting, Today's Parent, and Working Mother. Each one of these magazines have provided online articles dedicated to the creation and use of bento boxes for a child's school lunch. Such articles in many ways has allowed parents not only to create bento boxes but to also spread ideas on how to Americanize them (hence making them with the same concept in mind but not as elaborate or time consuming as in Japan). These ideas of lunch, fun, fast, and easy make bento boxes very appealing for both mothers to make them and children to consume them. In marketing bento boxes magazines have fulfilled their requirement in introducing new and innovative techniques to making parenting both easier and fun. What child wouldn't enjoy a teddybear shaped sandwich? Ideas like this will assure that their sales continue.

Who Else Is Benefiting From Introducing Of These Ideas?

So you are a parent reading the magazine and think "oh what a great idea... I'm going to do that for my kid". Then as most of us do you sail around youtube looking for step by step instructions (like in the videos posted below). Ok so now you are ready to make a bento box. Wait don't you need the bento box? Thats right websites like Amazon have been making a killing on selling these items. It has become such a craze in the online world that bento boxes themselves are among Amazon's top sellers. Not only does Amazon provide the bento boxes them selves but they also sell accessories that facilitate the creation of them such as animal shaped sandwich cutters, rice ball molds, box decorations, and so on. This just adds a whole other category to their sales under their kitchen and container supplies.  

Youtube: A great help

Youtube has also promoted the use of bento boxes among American moms by giving them step by step instructions on how to create one. These two videos that are posted clearly show that such tutorials are targeted to an American audience, mainly because English is the dominant language in both videos. 

These are a bit more elaborate but on youtube we may also find simpler ones highlighted as "American" or "Western"