A company in Higashinada Ward, Kobe, that makes ekiben (bento boxed meals sold at train stations) has come out with a special-edition product for the time of coronavirus.
The "Reiwa Tashinami Bento" made by Awajiya Co. comes in a flat box holding a tray divided into 12 compartments, each containing morsels of various dishes for customers to enjoy. When the lid of the box is raised, one sees two large paper flaps that can be folded out from it to "shield" the meal on either side.
Each flap is adorned with a printed picture of Amabie, a yokai spirit said to be able to suppress outbreaks of plague.
At stations including JR Shin-Kobe, Kobe and Nishi-Akashi, a total of 100 of the special bento are sold each day. The company plans to gradually switch to shielded boxes for all of its bento. Yuki Yanagimoto, managing director of Awajiya, said the new style of box could "become the etiquette of the corona era."
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