A bento is pretty much a Japanese lunch box. Though in the past it only consisted of one large box divided in to sections, today it can be made up of pretty much anything! With the exception of some items, like large soup containers or drink bottles, any containers that hold your lunch are generally wrapped in a bento -  so its handy to know how to wrap one.

First you’ll need a bento wrap cloth, called furoshiki, as well as your lunch. Before even considering wrapping it, take a look at your lunch. What is it made up of? If the answer is along the lines of… an uncut apple / food without a container, I would suggest finding a small paper bag, about half the size of an A4 sheet of paper, and placing your lunch in there.

The next step is to assemble your containers – how many are there and how big are they? Its only lunch, so you should have around 1-2 small containers, or 1 large one. Place the containers in the middle of the furoshiki, with the smaller width facing towards two corners on the wrap. If you have more than one container, stack the smaller on the larger and you’ll be good to go.

Following this, take the corner of the furoshiki that doesn’t have a container pointing to it, and place it over the container/s, tucking the bottom underneath them. Repeat this with the other side, but don’t worry about tucking in the bottom. 

Next, grab the two remaining corners and bring them to the middle. You can choose to twist them before, or just tie them in a double knot. If you are bringing cutlery {which should be in a tiny case} slot it in-between the containers and the knot. Grab your bento and place it in your school bag ready for lunch!

The finished product should look something like this photo above, taken from CasaBento. This shop sells bento boxes as well as furoshiki, in a variety of designs and colours.

　

Good luck!

-H