School Bento - The origin of bento can be traced back to the Kamakura Period when cooked and dried rice called hoshi-ii literally "dried meal" was developed. In the Edo Period bento culture spread and became more refined. Travelers would carry a simple bentoconsisting of several onigiri wrapped with bamboo leaves or in a woven bamboo box. Bento became even more populari in the 1980s with the help of the microwave and the proliferation of convenience stores. The expensive wood and metal boxes have been replaced at most bento shops with inexpensive, disposable plastic boxes. However, even handmade bento have made a comeback, and they are once again a common sight at Japanese schools where they are known as gakko bento or school bento lunches.
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