Containers are commonly disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento is readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, 弁当屋(bentō-ya, bento house), train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend considerable time and energy producing an appealing boxed lunch.
Common side dishes can include:
* Tamagoyaki - Omelette strips (or squares) cooked with salt and sugar
* Fried or scrambled eggs
* Sausages
* Fava beans
* Seafood - fish, octopus, eel, Kishu fish soaked in vinegar, shrimp, prawns
* Sushi rice
* Lotus root
* Boiled burdock, wrapped in a slice of anago (sea eel)
* Bamboo shoots
* Steamed, boiled or pickled vegetables
In modern Japanese culture, bento is consumed at work, on picnics, at home, at school and even at private parties, as they offer a simple, convenient and attractive form of hospitality. They are also served at Japanese restaurants as a form of take-out, so customers can enjoy the taste of their favourite chefs in the comfort of their own home.
As in Western schools, Japanese schools sometimes provide lunch for their students, or require them to bring their own to eat during a lunch period. These are usually prepared by the children's mothers, but as women are gradually moving out from their traditional role in the home and into the job sector, some students like to prepare their bento themselves.
