The Shinkansen bento box is so cute it sells out in half an hour! 13 types of railway bento boxes now available in Taiwan

▲ Railway Bento Festival: The E7 Series Shinkansen Bento was a top seller. (Photo / Reporter Lai Wen-hsuan)

Reported by Lai Wen-hsuan / Taipei

The 2nd Railway Bento Festival opened today at the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition in Hall 1 of Taipei World Trade Center, running for four days from August 5 to 8 to treat food lovers to a feast of flavors. This year, Taiwan Railways has chosen “Happiness. Way (WAY)” as its theme and invited six major Japanese railway companies to participate. Last year’s hit, the East Japan Railway E7 Shinkansen bento, sold out within 30 minutes again this year, while the self-heating Oden Beef Tongue Bento also became a bestseller, flying off shelves within an hour.

▲ Railway Bento Festival: Crowds line up to grab railway bentos. (Photo / Provided by Taiwan Railways)

This year’s Railway Bento Festival has invited six major Japanese railway operators, including last year’s sensational East Japan Railway Company, Seibu Railway, and Keikyu Corporation, as well as first-time participants Tobu Railway, Enoshima Electric Railway, and IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway.

▲ Self-heating Oden Beef Tongue Bento heats up automatically when you pull the string. (Photo / Reporter Lai Wen-hsuan)

JR East Japan’s “E7 Series Shinkansen Bento,” last year’s top-selling item, once again sold out within 30 minutes. Priced at about NT$400 in Japan, it’s available in Taiwan for just NT$200—a great deal. Additionally, this year features the “Self-heating Oden Beef Tongue Bento,” a departure from traditional cold Japanese bentos. The box design allows it to heat up automatically when you pull the string, making it an instant hit that sold out within an hour. Other offerings include the “Fukagawa Meshi Bento” and the “Japanese Hospitality Bento,” priced between NT$200 and NT$250, with daily limited quantities of 100 to 200 units.

Tobu Railway’s “Beef Sukiyaki Bento” represents the history of Asakusa and is normally only available on Tobu trains bound for Nikko and Kinugawa in Japan. It’s now also being sold at the Taiwan food exhibition.

▲ Railway Bento Festival: A taste comparison of Taiwan, Japan, and Korean bentos. (Photo / Reporter Lai Wen-hsuan)

Enoshima Electric Railway offers the “Enoden Design Bento,” the “Odakyu Romancecar Bento,” and the “Whitebait Bento,” all featuring super-cute box designs that can be reused after enjoying the meal. IGR Galaxy Railway presents the “Galaxy Train Design Set Bento,” modeled after the IGR train, which went on exclusive sale at the 2016 Railway Bento Festival before being launched domestically in Japan.

▲ The Railway Bento Festival kicks off with excitement at the food exhibition, with Japanese railway bentos available in limited daily quantities. (Photo / Provided by Taiwan Railways)

Seibu Railway offers the “Waraji Pork Bento,” limited to 250 units per day at NT$250 each, while Keikyu Corporation brings the “Tuna Tataki Bento” and the “Tuna N...<”、“助六便当”等三款，其中炸鲔鱼便当每天仅限量贩售25个。另外，韩国“BOBBYBOX”也带来“铁路展特制BOX”、“韩式烤肉BOX”、“辣炒鸡BOX”等三款套餐，每天也都是限量贩售。