Synopsis

Ekiben, a portmanteau of the Japanese words for "station" and "boxed meal," have long been a staple sold at train stations and on trains across Japan. The recent coronavirus pandemic, which significantly reduced rail travel nationwide, including on the bullet trains, dealt a severe blow to the Ekiben industry. Faced with a precarious future, Ekiben manufacturers have begun exploring innovative strategies for survival. These range from offering frozen versions of the traditional boxed meals to es