 Children in Japan enjoy their lunch. (Photo: Freepik) |
For many Japanese children, lunchtime brings the excitement of a colorful, whimsical character bento – or “charaben” – waiting to be unveiled. Each bento is a miniature masterpiece, with food crafted to resemble beloved characters, animals, or nature scenes. Noriko Nishino, a Japanese mother, who grew up with bentos, makes charaben for her son daily.
"I often make a football theme and a Doraemon theme for him. I cut out pictures of soccer balls and some football players he likes, and sometimes I craft Doraemon using nori. But my close friend Kaori can make truly stunning charaben. She features the face of the old man from Kiki’s Delivery Service and showcases Jibanyan from Yo-Kai Watch. Both are characters her daughter loves,” Nishino said.
 One of the many meticulously crafted "bentos" Nishino makes for her son. (Photo: Noriko Nishino) |
It wasn’t until the 2000s that charaben appeared, even though bentos have been a part of Japanese life since the 1600s. Traditional bentos were used for convenience and a balanced diet. Charaben were born from a growing emphasis on children’s nutrition during that era. Nishino said the rise of Japanese pop culture, like anime, manga, and video games, inspired charaben designs, tapping into children’s interests and making meals fun.
Over time this practice gained popularity, pushing the boundaries of charaben to a sophisticated level of food art. A whole industry involving cute containers, food picks, and other food tools has sprung up to facilitate this.
Despite a busy schedule, parents take time to prepare charaben at home to ensure the quality and freshness of the ingredients. “Children are often picky eaters, so mothers prepare lunch boxes to encourage them to eat better. Parents put a lot of love and care into making these meals,” Nishino said.
It’s common to see children eagerly open their lunchbox to find these edible artworks, a symbol of their parents’ care and creativity in every bite.
 The small lunchboxes wrapped in colorful cloths have become a shared childhood memory for many Japanese people. (Photo: Freepik) |
“I want to see the children’s joyful faces when they open the charaben. Imagining their happy expressions brings me joy, and I think there’s a bit of self-satisfaction in that. Some mothers post them on social media platforms like Instagram. Receiving compliments from others makes them feel proud and fulfilled,” Nishino said.
Charaben have become a way to strengthen family bonds. For children, it’s a comforting reminder of home and parents during school hours.
Charaben have gained worldwide attention through social media. Food bloggers and influencers share their own charaben-inspired creations, blending Japanese techniques with their own culture.
Nishino says celebrities known as “mama talent”, like Nozomi Tsuji and Yuko Ogura, have hundreds of thousands of followers. Nishino’s friend Kaori is one, and she is pretty well-known for sharing pictures of her adorable charaben on social media.
Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are filled with images of charaben, inspiring people to bring a little extra joy to their meals. There are even international contests for charaben, like the JICC Bento contest, Nishino said.
 (Photo: The Japan Information & Culture Center) |
"Nowadays, alongside traditional charaben, there’s a new trend called decoben. Decoben – short for ‘decoration bento’ – goes beyond characters or human figures. It’s more diverse, including things like flowers and inanimate objects. This broadens the scope of charaben, allowing greater creativity and more opportunity to bring exciting and unique touches to each bento box," Nishino said.
No matter how charaben designs evolve, they all stem from parents’ unconditional love for their children and leave a beautiful and lasting impression on childhood memories.