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Aomori Prefecture is surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Sea of Japan to the west, and the Tsugaru Strait to the north, and is home to the vast Mutsu Bay. Station bento in Aomori Prefecture mainly consists of bento boxes that use an abundance of seafood
Many types are sold at Hachinohe Station and Shin-Aomori Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen, as well as at Hirosaki Station on the conventional line and Noheji Station on the Aoimori Railway
What is Ekiben?
From Yoshidaya official website
There is no specific definition, but if you think about it simply, I think it means ``lunch boxes sold at stations and eaten while boarding the train.''
Ekiben, enjoyed while enjoying the scenery outside the train window, tastes so delicious even when it's cold.
These days, a variety of bento boxes are sold not only inside stations but also around stations, but here we introduce the bento boxes that can be purchased at ekiben shops and kiosks inside stations as ``ekiben.''
Please note that the Ekiben prices listed are tax-inclusive prices as of December 2022.
Top 5 recommended ekiben in Aomori Prefecture!
Aomori Prefecture sells a wide variety of ekiben, mainly seafood-based bento boxes, and we have selected five that we particularly recommend
Tsugaru Menkoi Kaiseki Bento (1,350 yen: Tsugaru side dish)
From the official website of Tsugaru Sozai
This bento box contains 24 bite-sized dishes from the Tsugaru region, and comes with a menu listing the names and locations of the dishes
Enjoy it as a snack with Aomori's local sake while gazing out the window. There are four types of rice dishes, each containing the equivalent of one small rice ball, making it a very filling meal
Ingredients used are from Aomori whenever possible
Fish-filled (1,300 yen: Tsugaru side dish)
From the official website of Tsugaru Sozai
As the name suggests, the generous side dishes are all fish
This familiar fish from Aomori Prefecture can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, such as fried, grilled, or made into sushi
This is a recommended ekiben for those who want to eat as much fish as possible from Aomori Prefecture. Tsugaru Sozai's ekiben can be purchased at Shin-Aomori Station, Hirosaki Station, and Tokyo Station
Tsugaru Side Dishes <Information>
Name: Tsugaru side dish
Address: 540-11 Hitotsuya, Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture
This seafood sushi bento is topped with plenty of steamed sea urchin, salmon roe, flying fish roe, and scrambled eggs, and is sold at Shin-Aomori Station and other locations
The vinegared rice is made with "Massigura" rice from Aomori Prefecture, and the dish comes with palate cleansers of gari (chopped ginger pickled in sweet vinegar), nozawana (green mustard greens), pickled shibazuke (shibazuke), and simmered chopped shiitake mushrooms
Hachinohe Kouta Sushi (1,280 yen: Yoshidaya)
From Yoshidaya's official website
Hachinohe Station's specialty pressed sushi is made with mackerel and red salmon caught in the Pacific Ocean near Hachinohe
The bento comes with a "bachi" (stick) similar to those used when playing the shamisen, which you can use to cut the meat into pieces of your desired size and then dip it in the included soy sauce before eating
The pressed sushi is well packaged, making it a great souvenir from Hachinohe
Yoshidaya＜Information＞
Name: Yoshidaya
Address: 1-2-1 Ichibancho, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
This ekiben is packed with representative local dishes from the Tsugaru region, which have been certified as "Tsugaru Culinary Heritage," such as minced squid, grilled shellfish with miso, simmered cod and butterbur, and soy-marinated herring fillets
This ekiben, made by Akitaya, a catering shop in Hirosaki City that used to be a fish shop, allows you to enjoy the simple flavors of Tsugaru
Akitaya Co., Ltd. <Information>
Name: Akitaya Co., Ltd
Address: 124-2 Shigemoricho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
Here are the stations in Aomori where you can buy ekiben!
From the official website of JR East Tohoku General Service
As of December 2022, ekiben can be purchased at four stations in Aomori Prefecture, and in addition to the recommended bento boxes listed above, other popular ekiben are also sold
I have also included the locations of each station bento shop for your reference
Shin-Aomori Station (ekiben shop and convenience store inside the Shinkansen ticket gate, Aomori Shunmikan in the station's commercial facility)
From the JR-Cross official website
You can purchase ekiben from Tsugaru Sozai, Yoshidaya, Wellness Hakuyoken, etc. Also, while the ekiben we've introduced so far have all been seafood, we also recommend the following bento
Yakiniku Darake (1,300 yen): Aomori beef, pork, and chicken grilled with garlic and apple sauce from the prefecture
Towada Barayaki Jyu (1,200 yen): Towada's B-class gourmet dish of grilled beef belly and onions in a sweet and spicy soy sauce sauce
These yakiniku bentos are also popular with many repeat customers
Hachinohe Station (the shop inside the Shinkansen ticket gate and the convenience store in the free passage)
From the official website of JR East Tohoku General Service
Yoshidaya's ekiben are the main products sold here, but there are also many other delicious and popular ekiben available
Overflowing salmon roe and grilled fatty salmon belly bento (1,480 yen): Grilled belly and plenty of salmon roe
Sea Urchin and Sea Urchin Taste Comparison Bento (1,580 yen): Enjoy the taste comparison of three different types of seasoned sea urchin
Large scallop and sea urchin bento (1,480 yen): Large scallops simmered in white dashi and steamed sea urchin, rice with a light soy sauce flavor
These are also popular ekiben that sell well
Hirosaki Station (sold by rack in the free passage)
Five types of ekiben made by Akitaya are sold in the aisles, and you can also reserve them
Tsugaru Wagyu Bento (1,620 yen): A sukiyaki-style bento with melt-in-your-mouth Aomori Wagyu beef
Aomori Shamrock Bento (1,290 yen): A delicious combination of simmered Aomori Shamrock and cooked rice
Aomori Chicken Bento (1,290 yen): The key to the flavor is the special sauce that brings out the richness and umami of the Shamrock chicken
Igamenchi bento (900 yen): Tsugaru's B-class gourmet squid minced meat seasoned with soy sauce and pickled ginger
These ekiben can be purchased at Hirosaki Station and at Akitaya stores within Hirosaki City
Noheji Station ("Eki Soba Pakupaku" in the station waiting room)
"Pakupaku Chicken Rice (600 yen)" is made at Yakitori Pakupaku, an izakaya restaurant in front of Noheji Station on the Aoimori Railway, and other items on sale include katsudon, nori bento, and onigiri
Aomori Station was once a bustling gateway to Hokkaido where passengers could transfer to the Seikan Ferry, but it has now become quite quiet, and the sale of bento boxes ended in March 2021
In addition to the ekiben introduced here, there are other ekiben makers in Aomori Prefecture, such as Misawaya in Misawa City and Kofuku no Sushi Honpo in Aomori City, and their sushi bentos can be purchased at Shin-Aomori Station
I am a former Edo guy who loves Morioka, loves the six prefectures of Tohoku, and loves history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. We'll introduce you to some interesting, delicious, and good things about Tohoku!
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