Kyaraben - The Art of Lunch Box Prep
May 20th, 2008 | By andy | Category: Food
In Japan, it’s all about presentation when making character lunches. It is called “Kyaraben” (キャラクター弁当), or “Charaben”, and goes beyond simply making the meal look appetizing.
Most Kyaraben are made by mothers, who want to make their children’s lunches more appealing by arranging the contents of the Bento (lunch box) into their favorite cartoon characters or super heroes.
(via weirdasianews)
Am I not understanding this art called Kyaraben? It just seems like they are wasting their time. But I have the tendency to think everything I don’t understand as waste of time. 
I think it is good for kids. I remember being addicted to Hi-C Liquid Ecto Cooler just because it had Slimer on it. I probably liked it even if it tasted awful.
Doesn’t make sense to me now, but it did back then.
i think it’s cute. i have a bento but since i don’t need to bring a lunch anymore it goes unused most of the time.
on livejournal it looks like there are a bunch of white people who are trying to make bento lunches, some of them look nice, but others include tiny pieces of food jammed into a tupperware container which isn’t exactly what you’re supposed to do.
I’ve seen lots of such pictures and I, too, don’t understand the art. I mean, those Kyaraben are too good to be eaten. How can you put kawaii things into your mouth? I believe it takes lots of time to prepare such bento.
Glad I’m not the only one who drank Hi-C just because Slimer was on the box, like AzureWolf said
Cute bento creations 
I belive the bentos are mostlly to entice there kids into eating some healther stuff, I had 2 kids in my daycare I use to valenter at who always came with bentos the mother made sure of the little girls (Ray) on because she had some major food allergies (milk, wheat gluton, peanuts, strawberrys, and sugars (diabetic)) and her lunches would have looked like a pile o poo if her mom hadnt dressed them up, and she even made a ‘large bento’ for the summer picknic (a big tray of food acceptable for Ray to eat) that was absultly gorgous and she said it didnt take that much time she usaly made the bentos while she was cooking there dinners
but besides health reasons they where just fun lunches and even thou I am not Japannes I know when I have kids I will probly try to dress up there lunchs so they are appeling and they want to eat them
btw that HiC with slimer on it was nasty I rember it I would always ask for it in the store and then never drink it because it was gross/bitter/sour
Most Kyaraben are made by mothers, who want to make their children’s lunches more appealing by arranging the contents of the Bento (lunch box) into their favorite cartoon characters or super heroes.