日本では、お弁当はとても身近な食べ物です。学校に通う子供も、会社で働く大人も、昼ご飯にお弁当を食べる人が多いです。家で作るお弁当もあれば、コンビニやデパートで買うお弁当もあります。
In Japan, the bento is a deeply familiar part of everyday food. Many people eat one for lunch, from kids heading to school to adults working at the office. Some bentos are made at home, while others are bought at convenience stores or department stores.
お弁当の歴史は古くて、千年以上前から日本にあると言われています。昔は木の箱にご飯やおかずを入れて、旅や仕事に持って行きました。今のように色々な種類のお弁当が広まったのは、電車の旅が増えてからだそうです。
The bento has a long history and is said to have existed in Japan for more than a thousand years. Long ago, people packed rice and side dishes into wooden boxes to take on trips or to work. The wide variety of bentos we see today is said to have spread after train travel became common.
お弁当の中身はとてもにぎやかです。白いご飯の横に、卵焼きや焼き魚や肉のおかずが並びます。それから、緑の野菜や赤いトマトも入れます。色のバランスを考えながら作るので、見た目もきれいです。「茶色だけのお弁当はさびしいでしょう」とよく言われます。
The contents of a bento are lively. Beside the white rice you might find rolled omelet, grilled fish, or a meat dish. Then there are green vegetables and red tomatoes. People put a lot of thought into the color balance as they cook, so the bento looks beautiful too. As the saying goes, "a bento that is all brown looks lonely."
朝、お母さんやお父さんは、家族のために早く起きなければなりません。ご飯を炊いたり、おかずを焼いたりして、三十分ぐらいでお弁当を完成させます。子供のために、動物やアニメのキャラクターの形でおにぎりを作る人もいます。これはキャラ弁と呼ばれていて、子供たちにとても人気があります。
In the morning, mothers and fathers have to wake up early for their families. They cook the rice, fry the side dishes, and finish the bento in about thirty minutes. For their children, some parents shape rice balls like animals or anime characters. These are called character bentos, and they are very popular with kids.
時間がない日や、料理が苦手な人は、コンビニでお弁当を買ってもいいです。最近のコンビニのお弁当は種類が多くて、値段も安いから、とても便利です。電子レンジで温めてから食べることができるので、いつでも温かいご飯が食べられます。
On busy days, or for people who are not good at cooking, it is perfectly fine to buy a bento at a convenience store. Today's convenience store bentos come in many varieties and cost very little, which makes them very handy. You can warm them up in the microwave, so a hot meal is always within reach.
お弁当は、ただの昼ご飯ではないと思います。中には作った人の気持ちが入っています。家族のことを考えながら作るお弁当は、レストランの料理より特別な味がします。これからも、お弁当の文化は日本人の生活の中で大切にされていくでしょう。
I think a bento is more than just lunch. Inside it lives the feeling of the person who made it. A bento prepared with family in mind has a more special flavor than any restaurant dish. Bento culture will surely keep being treasured as a part of Japanese life for years to come.