BBC News lunchboxes
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It’s lunchtime here at this kindergarten in Japan
Children are eager to see
what their parents have made for them
In this country,
a dried sandwich wrapped in tin foil just won’t do,
but a pack lunch has been elevated to just something near an art form
So, here we go,
this one is a sort of nice rabbits and it’s some kind of a character.
That is more in the other parts of the classroom
This is another child
He’s obviously gotten an artistic mother
This rice ball is made to look like a panda
Now this table’s has some great ones
Here is Hello Kitty, and Teddy bear?
And right next her friend is a piano
Great isn’t it?
Then, some people need a bit of help to learn
how to make the perfect pack lunch--a perfect bento
The lady who lives in this flat is an acknowledged expert
She is been on Japanese TV
There is a sign on the door, ‘’bento 4 kids’’
She gives lessons
So we’re going to take a look
Today, Tomomi Maruo is teaching her class of moms
how to make cartoon character,
called Totoro using rice and sesame seeds
As well as a Teddy bears face out of fish cakes
It’s not easy for the students.
We have this idea of presentation, how it looks and precisions
So I think that’s a part of this culture
And what about do you feel there is a competition among moms
if you go to kindergarten and on sports day they set bento out together?
That must be quite tricky?
I feel, oh my god, it’s sports day
Then, expectation is getting high
and, you know, you have to sit next other moms
I feel pressure, certain pressure
So this is manga character and what else have you done?
Teacher has kept photographs of the best designs
That’s a Nintendo Wii controller
And an American patrol car
What’s this one?
The Play Station’s remote controller
What’s that made of?
Rice and sea weed—Rice and sea weed!
And this looks real people at Christmas?
Who are they? These portraits?
Michel Jackson - Michel Jackson
That’s Harison Ford
As an Indiana Jones, with the Indianan hat and stubble
How do you do the stubble?
Sea weed, little sea weed
Do you do this kind of character bento every day?
It’s fun. I enjoy doing it and my kids enjoy it
How long do you spend?
If you try to make bento of Michel Jackson,
how long does that take it ?
People’s faces are very difficult,
so maybe takes two hours
Back in the kindergarten, lunch is coming
Very noisy, and none of them last very long
Colorful characters-what took hours to make
is being gobbled in a matter of minutes