Ekiben are currently struggling. At their peak in the 1960s, there were around 400 ekiben operators, but that number has now fallen to around 20%.
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"If convenience store bento boxes represent civilization, then perhaps ekiben are culture," Nakajima said, a sentiment he has repeatedly expressed within the company.
"Convenience stores are civilization, and ekiben are culture," Nakajima said, continuing, "Civilization satisfies the material desire to eat food of the same quality anywhere in the country, while culture is something different, something spiritual. So it's not a question of good or bad, but rather that both are necessary."
https://news.jp/i/1375708469738193086?c=39546741839462401
14 Comments
I think it’s more about the price. Ekiben (station lunch box) are expensive. I find it cheaper to eat at a restaurant or buy box lunches outside the station. Lunch boxes at convenience stores within the station probably would be cheaper too.
With the economy as it is, I think people are tending to buy cheaper lunches. I do have to say ekiben tastes much better than convenience store lunch boxes. If they can lower the price, I’ll probably buy them more.
feel like everything in Japan is cultural asset at this point
JR can take as much as 50% of sales from platform vendors. Doesn’t leave much margin for staffing and quality
Am I the only one who read ekiben as “eiken” at first? That made the headline very confusing.
Ekiben is probably the most overrated category of Japanese product. I don’t know anyone who actually buys ekiben when they travel. They’d rather pack most of their carry-on bag with bread, chips, and supermarket bentos
EH
While some people complain about the price of Ekiben, these are high-end products marketed as a premium brand. Nobody compares these to convenience store meals or Sukiya when making a purchase; most people accept the premium pricing. Especially nowadays, the “Instagrammable” factor adds to the perceived value since people can flex it on social media.
Make it cheaper and see sales boom
Gaijins strike again…
A cold bento isn’t that appealing to me. I once asked an ekiben lady if they had a microwave oven in the shop so I could heat up the bento. She unloaded on me with a load of crap about ekiben culture and how it’s most oishii served cold. I haven’t bought one since.
There is a change in culture, too, that the Japanese businesses often ignore. Buying ekiben as a high point of your business travel sounds like a very generation specific market
What ISN’T considered a cultural aspect in Japan. It’s ridiculous.
Anyway ekiben is expensive and the amount you get is small. Plus in this economy the amount is even smaller. Plus I don’t go on trip much because the economy is bad and I can’t afford it. Sounds like the reason is the economy and I have no money.
At this rate, gachapon will be an intangible cultural asset in 20 years
Soon the entire country of Japan will be a UNESCO site.