"We tried to use an upscale bento box as a footprint, " says Brown.

CNN: Economy class goes gourmet

Finally, we continued our back-to-school coverage by rounding up the top six kids backpacks of the year and we put together a week-long menu of bento box ideas.

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But the ubiquity of department stores around Tokyo also make depachika convenient places to pick up a bento box for a quick picnic lunch that feels as decadent as it is inexpensive.

BBC: The depachika of Tokyo