There's even a style called kyaraben bento that involves crafting the food to look like anime characters and cute animals, like these octopus-shaped hot dogs. No matter what kind of bento it is ...

Editor’s note: In the Every Bento Tells a Story series, Chikako Tada, editor of Pen & Spoon, a website devoted to food, writes about various aspects of making bento. There is also a helpful ...