The recession and a growing interest in cost-cutting ingenuity have resulted in an unprecedented amount of coverage in the international press. From to , major newspapers are spilling plenty of ink over this humble yet refined Japanese tradition.
It¡¯s easy to see why. Bento provide an extremely platform to explain larger cultural and economic realities for the beleaguered working classes, who in an effort to save money choose the DIY approach to lunch. However, in the New York Times¡¯ opinion blog, ¡°Room for Debate,¡± several well-known creative minds move beyond proletariat concerns to wax philosophic on the nature of bento and how they represent Japanese society.
links traditional boxed lunches to the Japanese ¡°less is more¡± principal, while creative director Kenya Hara argues that bento preparation is an act of focusing on the beautiful and simple in an ugly, chaotic world. highlights the love and care placed in a bento¡¯s creation, while Nick Currie (aka ) sees bento as a triumph of aesthetics over efficiency.
It would be more than a stretch to call the interest in bento a new trend in Japan. After all, people have making boxed lunches for centuries, and even the buzz around bento boys (Û͵±ÄÐ×Ó), those working men who ¨C ¡°gasp!¡± ¨C prepare their own lunches to save money, goes back at least a few years. But now the version of bento are arguably becoming a global art form, with kyaraben , budding kyaraben and groups, and yes, a .
Bonus links:
- The NYT altered Currie¡¯s contribution more than he cared for. Read .
- Expired store-bought bento add to Japan¡¯s staggering amount of thrown-away food:
- Ever wondered what that is in store-bought bento?
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