Maybe Deb needs one of those. She’s generally horrified of taking anything perishable to work for lunch and can never come up with anything but peanut butter sandwiches. Having gotten sick of those, she buys lunch. Looking at the Amazon link, it appears to answer the problem of what if you can’t refrigerate at work or don’t want to. Like a multipart Thermos for food!

Well if you go back into the history of the bentos for which I have been packing for several years you will notice that in the beginning bentos were more based on the traditional concept with traditional and healthier foods; however, this is America. The land in which we work longer and spend less time at home then we did in simpler times. As things change in today’s economy we no longer have the luxury of packing a lunch for which we can take the time to be creative and produce a nice appearance for all. Instead, life becomes more about the concept of completing the task and producing a meal for which we can eat without the added expense of purchasing meals out. Traveling through Flickr and visiting the Mr. Bento page, you will discover many other individuals for which also have to resort to the short cuts of life. My concept of the bento is that in America we need to discover the art of eating a lunch and not working through it and having a nice convenient container to carry it in that keeps our food either hot or cold is more of the need then the tradition. I hope that you too will purchase the Mr. Bento and discover the joys that it can come with being the owner of one and maybe keep that traditional Japanese concept alive.

Well, seems like someone doesn’t understand what the bento is originally and actually for.
After reading this and seeing what you try to pass as humor and intellect you miss the concept of eating. Its a lunchbox. Nothing more, nothing less.
Originally a bento is a wooden (sometimes plastic or ceramic) tray that has individual compartments; that is all.
While it is true that “some” of the Japanese and other cultures have the time and inclination to spend hours trying to decorate their food, in the end it all comes out looking somewhat the same, doesn’t it?
The Japanese culture in its truest form does not allow each person, working 80 hours or more, to have “Hello Kitty and Friends” decorum at every meal, and even those that do in the beginning quickly fall to the side in favor of saving precious time for family and relaxation. Which are things that are come few and far between.
Apparently if you were actually a food critic, columnist, or anyone close to being able to comprehend the history of the Japanese as hard workers and a people dedicated to furhtering themselves as a nation and as a family. You would also realize that the reason you see the “pretty lunch boxes” on the internet are because it is being done by people that do not work long hours and have time to.
This will be either because they are new to this concept and are trying it out, which will quickly become old and time consuming and they realize they are doing this for no purpose and stop or they are chefs or professional food designers, which means they can do this and get paid for it.
To even assume that all Japanese do this all the time, for all meals, is borderline racist. Do you also assume that all blacks each fried chicken and all mexicans have beans, rice, and coffee for each meal?
Try to grow up and stop using “e-mail balls” when writing darling. There was nothing funny or brilliant about this article. Mainly it just provides your way of being ignorant but to a greater audience.
And yes, I am VERY well versed in the Japanese and their lifestyle and know that they all DO NOT have bento lunch boxes, DO NOT decorate their home made food not more than maybe 3% of the time), and above all are not the judgmental type. Can you say the same?

I am really freaked out about someone not IN the Mr Bento Flickr Group, not PART of the community, deciding to single out someone and rag them out so vehemently? I understand bentos and healthy eating, and the concept of all of it, but MAN? Talk about being judgemental? The bento group is also about not spending money, gas, having a nice lunch at one’s desk and out of ALL the members I have never seen someone post such negativity…it’s about a LUNCH and this is what some people like in their lunch…so why ridicule? A fried pie may not be YOUR thang, but someone else’s ! Have you checked out the Laptop Lunchbox group? Now, since they are the “American Bento” maybe you won’t chew their biggest poster a new backside…Maybe the two ladies that created that bento won’t get your rath, as they created an American bento? Which like another poster said, it’s kinda all a bit racist. And you my friend are kinda scary. And mean. SHAME ON YOU!

Honestly; Its a lunch box. Who FUCKING CARES? She could put cat in it for all I give a shit. Its her lunch box. No body comes to you and takes the spatula out of your hands and tells you how to put the burger in the box. So leave her alone and continue on with life. People like you make me want to vomit.

Clearly you dont even know the history of a bento box. So why waste about an hour of your time bitching about what someone else eats? Write about something that people should care about. Dont waste your time. Do something productive.

I actually agree a bit with some of what was written (though I probably wouldn’t describe the foods that way). I was looking through the pool to get some inspiration (My Mr. Bento is on its way) and noticed hers had a lot of processed foods. For people like me who can’t really eat all that (insulin resistant, history of diabetes AND high blood pressure runs in my family) a bag of cheetos will show up on the scale 2 days later. That’s why I like the Mr. Bento because it allows you to carry such a variety of foods as well as a “hot food” option so you don’t have to resort to things like potato chips. But that’s just me. If it works for her fine I guess. The other foods in the pool are inspiring enough (and actually I was inspired by her waffle, perhaps I could put in a low carb pancake).

In the grand scheme of things..it’s just lunch. We have the right to put whatever we want into whatever type of container we want. If I want to put soup in a wine glass, I am free to do so. The fact that you criticize someone for what they eat is just sad. Bully for you if you can afford to eat out or pack caviar and pate for your lunch. Wake up, the rest of us are eating leftover meatloaf just like Dorothy SH.