Three Japanese companies have joined forces to bring Japan's iconic ekiben -- bento box meals sold at stations -- to the world, with Switzerland their first stop.
"Ekiben World Team," a consortium formed by bento box specialists Hanazen Co, Maneki Foods Co and Matsuura Shoten Co, will debut six different packaged meals at Zurich Central Station for a limited time from Feb 6 to 27 next year.
Hanazen President Shuichi Yagihashi, who serves as the consortium's chair, said the major European railway hub was chosen as its highly organized system means that almost all transfers are completed within 30 minutes.
"Takeout has become incredibly popular since transfers happen so quickly, and people don't spend much time at restaurants anymore," said Yagihashi, adding that the pop-up is also an exercise that will increase understanding of local preferences.
In Japan, ekiben boxes are typically sold at kiosks, with passengers often eating them while on longer, intercity shinkansen train journeys.
With Hanazen having previously sold ekiben at a pop-up store at Paris' Gare de Lyon station in 2021, Yagihashi reflected that no single company can meet all customer demands, and "by forming this consortium, we aim to bring back the fun of choice for customers."
Two ekiben varieties from each company will be available at the Swiss pop-up store, with the lineup to include Hanazen's chicken rice, Maneki Foods' beef rice, and Matsuura Shoten's shrimp tempura rice balls.
Prices are expected to range from 12 Swiss francs ($14) to 22.5 Swiss francs each.
The companies plan to source ingredients locally, with the exception of the rice, which will be cooked and shipped from Japan to serve as a test for how aspects like the cold chain will affect its taste.
Yagihashi said the move is the first step toward the consortium's ultimate goal of exporting frozen bento to countries across the world.
"Freezing technology has advanced so much that when thawed using specialized equipment, the meals are indistinguishable from freshly made ones. Even professionals like us can't tell the difference," said Yagihashi.
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