About this season
Bento, or lunchbox, is a fun slice of Japanese food culture that more people around the world are sharing. Healthy and delicious foods are beautifully and creatively presented. This NHK series features demonstrations and advice by Japanese bento experts, as well as shares some of the bento pictures and videos sent in by viewers worldwide.
Episodes (20)
1. Shichimi Chicken Bento & Shichimi Sausage Bento
Aired 29 April 2022 • 15 min
Maki and Marc prepare bentos with Shichimi Togarashi, a blend of 7 spices that is used all throughout Japan. From Tokyo, a hanami bento perfect for viewing cherry blossoms.
2. Taimeshi Bento & Oyaki Bento
Aired 6 May 2022 • 15 min
Maki makes a bento with Oyaki, Nagano Prefecture's beloved dumplings. And Marc makes Ehime Prefecture's famous Taimeshi: sea bream with rice. From Singapore, a bento influencer!
3. Beef and Spicy Mayo Roll Bento & Miso-mayo Sawara Bento
Aired 3 June 2022 • 15 min
Maki makes a Miso-mayo Sawara (Spanish mackerel) Bento. Marc makes a Beef & Spicy Mayo Roll Bento. From the Philippines, bento boxes that combine cute characters and traditional flavors.
4. Sanga-burg Bento
Aired 10 June 2022 • 15 min
In this special episode, Marc reports from a fishing port in the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. He makes an original bento inspired by a local specialty, Sangayaki: grilled fish patties.
5. Kinchaku Tamago Bento & Pork Inari Bento
Aired 8 July 2022 • 15 min
Maki and Marc prepare bentos with Abura-age: deep-fried tofu. Marc makes a Kinchaku Tamago Bento while Maki makes a Pork Inari Bento. From Bali, a picnic featuring Ikan Bakar, a tasty seafood dish.
6. Curry Soup Bento & Creamy Kabocha Soup
Aired 15 July 2022 • 15 min
In this special episode, Marc meets a skilled soup bento maker, Ariga Kaoru. She's known for her easy yet tasty recipes for soup made in vacuum flasks. Marc prepares an original curry soup bento.
7. Lamb and Veggie Stir-fry Bento & Tori-ten Bento
Aired 12 August 2022 • 15 min
Today: bentos inspired by regional dishes. Marc makes a Hokkaido Prefecture specialty: lamb and veggie stir-fry. Maki makes Tori-ten fried chicken, a dish from Oita Prefecture. From Georgia, a tasty Khachapuri bento.
8. Kakiage Sandwich Bento & Veggie Menchi-Katsu Bento
Aired 19 August 2022 • 15 min
Marc fries up some shrimp and veggie fritters to make a Kakiage sandwich. Maki makes a colorful veggie Menchi-katsu bento. From Kamakura, a bento featuring a colorful assortment of local vegetables.
9. Maple-miso Chicken Bento & Maple-mustard Pork Bento
Aired 30 September 2022 • 15 min
Today: a look at some of the most popular user submissions to our website. Marc and Maki both make use of maple syrup in their bentos. From Hong Kong, a family picnic bento.
10. Tochigi Special: Chicken Wing Gyoza Bento & Nori Gyoza Bento
Aired 7 October 2022 • 15 min
Today: we travel to Tochigi Prefecture and meet some of its foreign residents, including bento makers and restaurant owners. Maki and Marc prepare bentos inspired by Tochigi.
11. Curry Goya Champuru Bento & Purple Sweet Potato Korokke Bento
Aired 28 October 2022 • 15 min
Marc makes a bento featuring goya or bitter melon, a specialty of Okinawa Prefecture. Maki makes korokke, or croquettes, with purple sweet potatoes. From Thailand, a bento in a traditional pinto lunchbox.
12. Stamina Donburi Bento & Salmon Avocado Bento
Aired 11 November 2022 • 15 min
Today: energizing bentos! From Marc, sweet and savory pork belly on rice. From Maki, a colorful combination of salmon and avocado. From Kawagoe, a bento featuring sweet potatoes.
13. Meat-wrapped Onigiri Bento & Fireworks Onigiri Bento
Aired 25 November 2022 • 15 min
Today: our chefs share their takes on onigiri! From Marc, sweet and savory beef wrapped around onigiri. From Maki, a "fireworks" boiled-egg onigiri. And from Mongolia, a bento featuring mutton.
14. Tofu Kara-age Bento & Pork Belly Kara-age Bento
Aired 9 December 2022 • 15 min
Today: our chefs share their takes on kara-age! Marc opts for tofu instead of chicken, while Maki rolls up thinly sliced pork. From the port of Shimonoseki, a bento featuring fugu, or pufferfish.
15. Kara-age with Tangy Scallion Sauce Bento & Layered Katsu Bento
Aired 30 December 2022 • 15 min
Maki layers cheese and basil between slices of pork to make deep-fried cutlets. Marc tosses crispy chicken in tangy scallion sauce. And from Taiwan, a bento featuring a local favorite: lu rou fan.
16. Salmon Daikon Bento & Tomato Sukiyaki Bento
Aired 13 January 2023 • 15 min
From Maki, a delicious one-pan tomato sukiyaki. From Marc, pan-fried salmon and simmered daikon glazed with a sweet and savory sauce. From Arita, a curry bento served in a bowl you can keep.
17. California Roll Bento & Crab Rice Bento
Aired 3 February 2023 • 15 min
Today: a special episode focusing on Shimane Prefecture. We meet local bento makers from Germany, Bangladesh and Brazil. Marc and Maki make dishes with a Shimane specialty: snow crab.
18. Oyster Rice Bento & Miso-butter Oyster Bento
Aired 17 February 2023 • 15 min
From Maki, oysters sautéed in butter, served with miso sauce. From Marc, oysters along with rice cooked in a savory oyster dashi. From Colombia, a fiambre bento wrapped in a plantain leaf.
19. Dashimaki Egg Sandwich Bento & Fried Meat-wrapped Quail Eggs Bento
Aired 3 March 2023 • 15 min
Today on BENTO EXPO, Maki fries up quail eggs wrapped in pork, and Marc uses a microwave to make a dashimaki egg sandwich. From Malaysia, a bento featuring Nyonya cuisine.
20. Sobameshi (Fried Yakisoba-and-Rice) Bento & Pumpkin Mochi Bento
Aired 17 March 2023 • 15 min
Today: a look at some viewer-submitted bentos. Marc makes sobameshi: chopped yakisoba and fried rice. Maki makes kabocha dumplings stuffed with cheese. From Kobe, a bento made with Kobe beef.