Hanazen, Maneki Foods, and Matsuura Shouten, three companies specializing in the production and sale of station bento boxes, announced on December 2 the launch of a consortium aimed at global expansion of station bento culture named “EKIBEN WORLD TEAM (EWT).” Initially, they will sell their station bentos for a limited time from February 6 to 27 at Zurich Central Station in Switzerland.
EWT was officially established on March 19. Shuichi Yagihashi, President of Hanazen, which has a local subsidiary in Paris, serves as the chairman, while Noritaka Takeda, President of Maneki Foods, which has sales experience in Taiwan and Thailand, serves as the vice-chairman. The initiative is supported by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the JR East Group, among others.
▲ Hanazen’s “Chicken Meshi Bento” and “Veggie Bento” for sale at the popup store
The station bentos will be sold at a popup space in the underground mall of Zurich Central Station. Each company will offer two types, for a total of six varieties available. Hanazen offers the “Chicken Meshi Bento” (19.5 Swiss Francs) and “Veggie Bento” (17 Swiss Francs), Maneki Foods sells the “Swiss Beef Meshi” (22.5 Swiss Francs) and “Makunouchi Bento” (20 Swiss Francs), and Matsuura Shouten offers the “Large Shrimp Tempura Musubi” (12 Swiss Francs) and “Miso Katsu Ju” (19 Swiss Francs). The daily sales quota is projected to be around 25 to 30 bento boxes.
All products will be produced by staff from each company who will travel to Zurich for this purpose. Rice used is “Akita Komachi” which is cooked, frozen, and then transported from Japan, while all other ingredients are sourced locally. Feedback from a tasting session held locally included comments such as, “It’s a step above the Japanese food currently available in Switzerland,” and “20 Swiss Francs feels quite affordable.”
▲ Shuichi Yagihashi, President of Hanazen and EWT Chairman
Looking forward, while considering sales at other European stations, EWT’s Yagihashi emphasizes “The popup is merely a first step.” The ultimate goal is to export frozen station bentos made in Japan and have them permanently sold locally. Initially, they aim to conduct test marketing with locally produced station bentos.
Exporting frozen station bentos will require meeting the “HACCAP” hygiene standards for the EU, with realization targeted around 2026. Chairman Yagihashi expressed his aspiration, “I hope people around the world can enjoy Japanese-made flavors that are just as fresh as if they were made on the spot.”
▲ Maneki Foods’ “Swiss Beef Meshi” and “Makunouchi Bento” for sale at the popup store
▲ Matsuura Shouten’s “Large Shrimp Tempura Musubi” and “Miso Katsu Ju” for sale at the popup store
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This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
