Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

My Trip to Tokyo

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
14 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

Over the weekend I went down to Tokyo to meet with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. My wife asked me if I wanted to eat lunch before I went to catch the train, but I told her no, I’d be eating ekiben, or “train station bento,” instead. Ever since Japan began industrializing during the Meiji Period (1868-1925), trains have been a big part of life here, and millions use them daily. While there’s a strange social taboo against eating on trains that are only going a short distance, which gaijin naturally don’t pick up on right away, it’s perfectly okay to eat on a long-distance train like Shinkansen bullet trains or limited express trains, and train stations in each region of Japan sell delicious boxed lunches you can only buy there. Some of the most famous ekiben are Masu no Sushi (sushi on rice served in a round wooden frame) from Toyama, Ikameshi (flavored rice cooked inside the cleaned body of a squid) from Hokkaido, and Daruma bento (a bento lunch inside a round red doll) from J-List’s home prefecture of Gunma. J-List carries hundreds of bento products from Japan, including a nice ekiben book that gives information on the most famous train station bentos from all corners of the country.

There are, of course, some major differences between the sprawling metropolis that is Tokyo and our semi-rural prefecture of Gunma 100 km to the north, which I’m always reminded of when I go there. In Tokyo no one rushes for trains since the next one will be along in a minute or two, but in Gunma there are only a few trains per hour, so when the train is leaving you move your oshiri. Despite there being hundreds of people around you at any given moment in Tokyo, it’s amazing how lonely a person can feel, an impression I don’t get in my home prefecture. And in Tokyo, girls are extremely fashionable, so much that I often find myself doing double-takes at how stylish the females around me are and making me think I’ve accidentally walked into a photography shoot for one of those awesome Japanese fashion magazines.

I’m a fan of ekiben, train station bento, and eat it whenever I go into Tokyo.

Tags: fashionfoodgaijin

More Posts Like This

Camera Angles In Anime
Your Friend in Japan

Yandere Meets Instant Noodles! Anime Marketing with Seiyuu Saori Hayami

by Peter Payne
8 months ago

Last week X lit up with the hashtag #早見沙織, or #HayamiSaori. Being a huge fan of anime voice actress Hayami...

Is Japan Xenophobic
Your Friend in Japan

No, Japan Is Not Xenophobic. Here’s Why.

by Peter Payne
1 year ago

Last night I was finishing up my evening social media work when I noticed a phrase was trending on X....

Bokuben Depressed Manga Panel

Describe Yourself Through Manga Panels!

3 years ago
You've Been In Japan Too Long When

The Ultimate ‘You’ve Been in Japan Too Long When…’ List!

4 years ago
Rugby Explosion In Japan

Rugby Explosion in Japan!

6 years ago
The three stages of gaijin eye aversion?

What Are The Three Stages of Gaijin Eye Aversion?

6 years ago
Next Post
4iqxaf W

Interesting Japanese Game Show Files

Trending Today

Yandere Dark Elf Episode 1 Featured Image
Featured

Yandere Dark Elf, Episode 1 — Love Heavier than Chocolate Melons!

3 months ago
Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime Web Cover
News

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime and Where to Watch Them

4 months ago
The Top 11 Anime Sex Scenes Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Happy Sex Day! Let’s Rank the 11 Most Surprising Ecchi Scenes in Anime

1 month ago
Haite Kudasai, Takamine San Episode 9 Featured Image
Featured

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 9 — Slippery When Wet!

2 weeks ago
Clevatess Alicia Armored Reminisce
Featured

3 Horny and Hungry Reasons to Watch Clevatess

24 hours ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Screenshot
News

They’re Back: Announcing the Return of J-List Tissues!

by Peter Payne
July 19, 2025

They’re Back: Announcing the Return of J-List Tissues!

Dandadan S2 Pulls No Punches (and the Fight Scenes Hit Hard, Too)

Cultural Exchange with a Game Center Girl — A Kawaii Romance

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider and Fight Shocker

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 10 — Fall Brings Chill and Friction!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.