is a popular type of Japanese bento which consists of mostly rice along with fish, meat, pickles, eggs, vegetables, and an umeboshi (a salt pickled plum). There are also other kinds of food such as a chestnut-rice, sweetfish sushi, and meat-and-rice-casserole forms.
Etymology
The term , dates back to the Edo period (1603 to 1867), when they were sold to theater-goers during the of Noh and kabuki theater performances.
From the Meiji period onward, has become a common convention for bento boxes called ekiben sold at train stations. Convenience stores also sell a bento under the name. Though the selection and number of items in a bento vary between stores, it often contains more items and costs more than other bento.
Gallery
<gallery widths="150px" heights="150px" mode="packed">
File:Makunouchi bento of FamilyMart.jpg|With ebi furai
File:Makunouchi bento with mackerel of FamilyMart.jpg|With grilled saba
File:Shiso wakame gohan makunouchi bento of 7-Eleven in Japan.jpg|With salmon and karaage
File:Bento 001.jpg|With umeboshi (center)
</gallery>
See also
- Ekiben
- Kyaraben
- TV dinner, American equivalent