Order of the Day

None of this needs to be burdensome. Typical recipes for bento box items -- such as our Kabocha Squash With Miso or Hijiki Sea Vegetable With Carrot -- call for a handful of ingredients and quick preparation. The sections of the boxes could even be filled with the help of a market that sells high-quality prepared foods.

These days, bento (the word roughly translates as a picnic or box lunch) is so pervasive in Japan that you can't ride a train or plane, walk into a workplace cafeteria or pop into a 7-Eleven without seeing the familiar takeout containers. Yet they aren't a modern invention. Bento appeared in its most primitive incarnation in Japan centuries ago, when the country's populace was involved mainly in farming, fishing and fighting -- occupations that require a commute. During those times, workers would pack their rice lunches in bamboo, oak or magnolia leaves and eat their meals on-site during a midday break. Eventually the boxes became sturdier, made of wooden materials, wicker or woven willow.

The containers evolved into objects of art and beauty during the decorative Edo period (1603-1868), when quotidian wares once hidden in the cupboard were elevated to coveted showpieces. The boxes seemingly were designed by both painters and poets, with floating fans, delicate blossoms and ethereal landscapes embellishing the lacquer exteriors. Around that time, new shapes also appeared, such as the hangetsu box, or half-moon, and the multi-tiered Shokado, modeled after the paint boxes used by Shokado Shojo, an Edo-era monk and artist.

The focus of the bento meal also shifted from sustenance to celebration. The boxes were prepared for Buddhist festivals; outdoor sojourns, such as cherry blossom viewing; and theater outings. During Kabuki and bunraku (puppet theater) performances, for example, the production would take a break so theatergoers could dine on their makunouchi bentos. The practice still exists today, says Pratt, who during a recent kabuki show in Ginza was surprised to see patrons quietly pull their boxes from under their seats, lay napkins on their laps and eat an intermission meal -- without ever standing up. (Those who don't plan ahead can buy one outside from the bento vendor.)

Bento boxes even have specific names that refer to where they are sold or made: eki-ben, for train station bento; sora-ben, or sky bento, for in-flight dining; conveni-bento, sold in mini-marts; aisai, those lovingly prepared by a man's wife. The flavors and food selections also vary according to region (Kyoto is known for tofu, northern Japan for beef) and season (autumnal mushrooms and chestnuts, spring bamboo shoots and ferns).

"They go from the ridiculous to the sublime there," says Mary Arnold, who owns the Asian antiques store East & Beyond Ltd. in McLean and spent four years living on an Army base 26 miles south of Tokyo. "A lot of us who enjoyed the Japanese culture would go someplace and buy a bento box. It was always a special event."

Meanwhile, those not able to fly 17 hours for lunch can get their bento fix closer to home. Assemble one yourself for a weekday lunch break, or indulge at a number of Washington area restaurants that sell bento boxes for dining in, such as Teaism, Cafe MoZu and, most recently, Zengo, which prepares lunch bentos of sushi, rice and a choice of salmon teriyaki, tandoori chicken or dragon skirt steak.

"The category is huge," says Linda Neumann, co-owner of Teaism, which sold 115,000 bento meals last year. "People like the idea that their food doesn't touch and that it helps them control portions, eat slower and appreciate food."

To be sure, it's hard not to enjoy a colorful, healthful meal served in a culinary jewelry box.

As he dined on a veggie bento box recently at the Teaism in Dupont Circle, Shannjit Singh, 27, remembered the ones he ate as a kid in Los Angeles and on travels to Japan. "I was fascinated by the sections of the bento box and that they had all of these different flavors but didn't mix together," Singh said. "It was magical."

No plastic container or paper sack has ever elicited such glee.