Shinkansen Lunch Ekiben What's inside this bento box
Shinkansen Lunch Ekiben What's inside this bento box
Overview
In this episode, John Daub takes viewers aboard the Shinkansen (bullet train) for a classic Japanese travel experience: eating an ekiben (station bento box). Departing from Tokyo on a cloudy, rainy day, John unboxes a specialized Hakata no Aji bento, featuring regional specialties from Fukuoka. He provides a detailed look at the contents, including mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), takenoko (bamboo shoots), and various side dishes, while navigating the train journey towards Kyoto.
The video captures the atmosphere of train travel in Japan, including announcements, station stops like Shinagawa, and the practicalities of eating on a moving train. John shares tips on enjoying ekiben, explains the ingredients, and discusses his travel plans, offering a glimpse into the life of a content creator exploring Japan. Despite the weather obscuring the view of Mount Fuji, the focus remains on the culinary delight of the bento box.
Highlights
- 00:02:00 John introduces the ekiben and notes it comes with two shibori (hand towels).
- 00:42:00 Discussion about the weather and missing the view of Mount Fuji due to clouds.
- 01:29:00 Close-up of the Hakata no Aji box design and the mentaiko description.
- 02:10:00 Arrival at Shinagawa Station and brief pause in streaming.
- 04:33:00 Detailed unboxing and identification of bento contents like umeboshi and mochi.
- 06:27:00 Train announcement detailing the Nozomi Super Express route to Hiroshima.
- 08:36:00 John demonstrates how to eat the rice with seaweed and mentaiko.
- 11:00:00 Announcement of upcoming filming plans in Kyoto.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 - Introduction aboard the Shinkansen
- 00:42 - Weather update and Mount Fuji view
- 01:29 - Ekiben box design and water bottle
- 02:10 - Shinagawa Station stop
- 04:01 - Unboxing the Hakata no Aji bento
- 05:25 - Tasting the contents
- 06:27 - Train route announcement
- 08:36 - Eating technique with seaweed
- 11:00 - Kyoto travel plans and conclusion
Japan Travel Tips
- Ekiben Timing: Try to eat your ekiben before major stops like Yokohama when trains get crowded.
- Recycling: Even styrofoam boxes are recycled in Japan; don't hesitate to use the provided disposal bags.
- Seating: If the train is not crowded, you can spread out, but be ready to pack away belongings when it fills up.
- Views: Check the weather forecast if hoping to see Mount Fuji from the Shinkansen; clouds can obscure the view.
- Cost: Expect to pay around 1,300 yen for a premium ekiben like the one featured.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Ekiben (駅弁): A bento box sold at train stations, often region-specific. This one is Hakata no Aji (Taste of Hakata).
- Shibori (絞り): Wet hand towels provided on trains or in restaurants for cleaning hands before eating.
- Mentaiko (明太子): Spicy pollock roe, a specialty of Fukuoka/Hakata.
- Kinpira (金平): A cooking style involving spicy stir-fried vegetables, often burdock root (gobo) and carrots.
- Konnyaku (こんにゃく): A jelly-like food made from the konjac yam, often served in oden.
- Etiquette: Eating on the Shinkansen is perfectly acceptable, but cleanliness is key.
Food & Drink Guide
- Hakata no Aji Ekiben (01:29:00): 1,300 yen. Features mentaiko, takenoko, shiitake, and more.
- Mentaiko (04:33:00): Spicy pollock roe. John notes it looks like a tongue but tastes amazing with rice.
- Takenoko (04:33:00): Bamboo shoots, served on top.
- Umeboshi (04:33:00): Pickled plum in the center of the rice.
- Mochi (04:33:00): Rice cake wrapped in sesame, possibly with anko inside.
- Konnyaku (07:20:00): Devil's tongue yam, noted as very healthy.
- Gobo/Kinpira (09:18:00): Burdock root salad.
- Simmered Tofu (10:10:00: Soft tofu item, similar to what is found in oden.
- Mount Fuji Water (01:29:00): Bottled water to wash down the meal.
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. He is traveling alone on this trip, engaging with the live chat while eating and filming.
- Train Announcement: Recorded voice providing route and safety information.
- David (Live Chat): Mentioned by John regarding the appearance of the mentaiko.
Key Takeaways
- Ekiben are a highlight of Shinkansen travel, offering regional flavors in a convenient package.
- The presentation of ekiben is often elaborate, with boxes designed to look like wood or other materials.
- Mentaiko is a polarizing visual but beloved flavor, especially in Hakata-style cuisine.
- Travel plans on the Shinkansen should account for weather if sightseeing (like Mount Fuji) is a goal.
Notable Quotes
- 00:02:00 "Greetings everybody, welcome aboard the Shinkansen. In this episode I'm going to be unboxing this mysterious ekiben."
- 00:42:00 "I try to eat the ekiben as fast as possible because we're gonna be going through a lot of tunnels after Yokohama."
- 01:29:00 "I love the box though. It's made of styrofoam, but in Japan we recycle everything so it's not too big of a problem."
- 04:33:00 "It looks like a tongue. David, you're right. It does look like a tongue."
- 10:10:00 "If you can get past the visual of it. It's an amazing, amazing food to eat on rice."
Related Topics
- Shinkansen Travel Guide
- Regional Ekiben Varieties
- Fukuoka Hakata Food Culture
- Train Etiquette in Japan
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tokyo #travel #shinkansen #ekiben #bento #fukuoka #hakata #mentaiko #train-food #john-daub #kyoto #japan-travel #food-review
Full Transcript
00:02:00 John Daub: Greetings everybody, welcome aboard the Shinkansen. In this episode I'm going to be unboxing this mysterious ekiben (station bento). This has actually come with chopsticks. This ekiben also came with two shibori (hand towels), not just one. It's from Hakata no Aji. Hakata is in Fukuoka. So this is Tokyo. It's a little weird.
00:42:00 John Daub: We're gonna be making a brief stop en route at Shinagawa. I try to eat the ekiben as fast as possible because we're gonna be going through a lot of tunnels after Yokohama and then straight to Mount Fuji. It's tunnel, tunnel, tunnel. Today we have clouds so we're not gonna get a good view. Hey, I see everybody in the live chat now. We have clouds right now. It's raining in Tokyo so you're not gonna get a good view of Mount Fuji. So I got the ekiben to fill in the gaps.
01:07:00 John Daub: The train's not crowded yet so I got to eat this as well before everyone starts getting on at Yokohama. But we're gonna be making a quick stop at Shinagawa, I believe. Yeah, according to the train. Alright, it's pretty exciting. As you can see, the weather is not beautiful and we're not going too fast right now in Tokyo. As soon as we get to Yokohama, this train starts to fly.
01:29:00 John Daub: Now, this is a Yamayaki Hakata no Aji. You can see here, Hakata being down in Fukuoka. Mentai(ko) (spicy pollock roe), which is a spicy raw egg sack from fish. I love the box though. It's made of styrofoam, but in Japan we recycle everything so it's not too big of a problem. But it looks like wood. I love that. And of course, I've got a bottle of Mount Fuji water. So I put that there to wash it down with.
02:10:00 John Daub: Alright, let's try this. I just rip it right open. You probably shouldn't turn the bento upside down, but I'm working with one hand. We're now arriving in Shinagawa Station. We might be lagging because we're in Shinagawa Station. So I'm gonna wait for a minute until we get out of the station and then I will start to stream again. Hey everybody, how you doing? So just arrived at the Shinagawa Station.
02:48:00 John Daub: It's actually quite crowded, so the train is gonna get pretty crowded. So I might not be doing a lot of talking. This bento, I'm not seeing any... okay, we're lagging right now. Alright guys, just give us a minute. As soon as we get out of the station, I'm gonna go and open up this box. Just give it a minute. So I just released, by the way, a video on the main channel about Japanese Wagyu.
03:30:00 John Daub: And I went to the farm and also a surprise visit to the processing plant, which was just kind of crazy. I didn't expect that we would go in there and it changed the story a little bit. But we're getting here. Maybe it's lagging from his end. Alright, looks like we're good to go. So I want to eat this before we get to Yokohama Station. Because once we get to Yokohama, then everything's... I don't know what's gonna happen. It could be a lot of people coming on. It is a Saturday here.
04:01:00 John Daub: Alright, let's open this up here. Alright, you guys are ready. The video quality is good. I don't want to open this unless you guys are getting full 720p beauty. Wow. Wow. Alright, let's... I'm gonna do this again. That was pretty incredible. Oh man.
04:33:00 John Daub: On the top here we have takenoko (bamboo shoot). That's a bamboo shoot. Also with some shiitake mushrooms, carrots. We have a half an egg, which is usually put on ramen in Fukuoka. This looks like it's made out of mochi. It's wrapped in sesame. We have an umeboshi (pickled plum) in the middle here. There's a piece of fish. And then there's this, which has a big vein in it. Oh, that's kind of nasty. That's the mentaiko. It's the sack of roe. It's an egg sack. Oh man. I might have outdone myself. It looks like a tongue. David, you're right. It does look like a tongue. The price is 1,300 yen, or about $13 for this.
05:25:00 John Daub: Alright, let's give this a try. It's hard to eat with one hand, so I'm going to put this here. It's a Japanese-style dish. I can't believe I'm eating it. It does look like a tongue. I love mentaiko, so it's okay. Time to just spread it out. I like to break it up. Get it all over the rice here.
06:27:00 Train Announcement: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Shinkansen. This is the Nozomi Super Express bound for Hiroshima. We'll be stopping at Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, and Fukuyama stations before arriving at Hiroshima terminal. Cars 1, 2, and 3 offer passengers without seat reservations. Smoking is not allowed on this train except in the designated smoking rooms located in cars 3, 7, and 15. The smoking room in car number 10 is for passengers in the green car.
07:20:00 John Daub: Umeboshi. It's usually sour. Konnyaku (devil's tongue yam). Very healthy. Bamboo shoot. Bamboo. That's interesting.
08:36:00 John Daub: This fish is so tender. It just broke in my chopsticks. It's so good. But I always spread the mentaiko out over the rice. And you can use that seaweed there to wrap it around the bites. I'll show you that in a second. Let's try this right here. This looks so good. This is a... I think it's mochi wrapped in sesame and there might be some anko (sweet bean paste) inside. Kind of like the dessert. Wow. Very good.
09:18:00 John Daub: Now let me show you what I mean. The seaweed is great because you can kind of close it around the rice. Which makes it easier to pick up the rice. I'm not doing a great job of it but... There you go. So the seaweed kind of keeps the rice together. So it's kind of neat to have. It does a pretty good job. I believe this is gobo (burdock root). Kin... I forget what the name of the salad is. Kinpira (spicy stir-fried vegetables). But it's really good. It's got gobo and carrots.
10:10:00 John Daub: It's a mentaiko man. It looks kind of sick with the veins in it. But I gotta tell you it's really good. If you can get past the visual of it. It's an amazing, amazing food to eat on rice. And it's natural. Gobo is a root. It's a really long root. It's good. This one is made out of tofu I believe. Usually you find this in oden (fish cake stew). It's been simmered. It's soft. It looks like takoyaki (octopus balls). It's not. It's like a tofu consistency.
11:00:00 John Daub: So there you have it. A very good ekiben. I'll put the name of this ekiben in the description. I'm actually going to Kyoto right now to film two episodes of Only in Japan. Just something that I've had on the books. I have to go and do this. I reserved these places like a month in. Hopefully I will do a livestream tonight in Kyoto Station. So I get a chance to take a look around the Kyoto Station area at night. So it should be a fun livestream. So stay tuned.
11:43:00 John Daub: We made it before we got to Yokohama. So I can put my bags away and not be rude. If someone wants to sit here, we can do it. But we did a great job eating this bento together. I ate all the... I did all the eating, but it was nice to share it together. Just take a look at the window. That's not the Tamagawa River. Not a beautiful day in Tokyo and Yokohama, but it should be a good day to film tomorrow. Have a good day. Good night.