I love ekiben. Ekiben is a portamanteau of the words eki and bento. Eki means station and bento is a specific container designed for meals so ekiben is prepackaged food one can find at a station. While eating and drinking on trains are frowned upon in Japan, an exception is made when one is traveling long distances who may get hungry on the journey. This usually pertains to travel via shinkansen or rapid express. Ekiben was created to satisfy that need.

The history of ekiben goes back to the birth of rail in Japan where sellers would wander the platform wearing a tray around their neck. In that sense, I consider it an integral part of the Japan rail experience. This is reflected by the fact that all major stations have multiple stores carrying them. Sometimes there may even be a store on the platform! The selection is almost endless with special designs featuring trains or characters as well as self heating ones. Finally, ekiben made from specialty ingredients local to a particular region can serve as a tourist attraction and source of pride.