Travel Bento Ekiben Fair
One of the main reasons train travel in Japan is so amazing is the wide selection of ekiben, or train station bento boxes. Every region has its own specialities, but if you want to try a massive variety all in one place, make sure to visit this fair.
This foodie event will bring together roughly 85 varieties of popular train bentos from across Japan. Additionally, you’ll also find around 300 types of regional delicacies, including local ramen, from Niigata and the Tohoku region.
Highlights include the viral pressed sushi bento from Niigata’s Niitsu Station, an adorable Pompompurin bento, a luxurious Kobe beef bento from Hyogo’s Himeji Station, and a self-heating Tajima beef sukiyaki bento from Hyogo’s Shin-Kobe Station, just to name a few.
The Travel Bento Ekiben Fair is held at Arde Plaza on the second floor of the Arde Shin-Osaka shopping centre, located inside the JR Shin-Osaka Station building (outside the ticket gates). This makes it the perfect place to pick up a unique lunch box for your shinkansen journey if you’re traveling through the station.