[Akita Prefecture] Proud ekiben from 6 prefectures in Tohoku! Introducing the top 5 recommended ekiben in Akita Prefecture

Daiwa Consilio
2023.01.08
Last updated: 2024.07.18

table of contents

1 What is Ekiben?
2 Top 5 recommended ekiben in Akita prefecture!
3 Here are the stations where you can buy ekiben in Akita Prefecture!
4 summary
5 Proud Ekiben from 6 Tohoku prefectures! series

Akita Prefecture, which is known for its rice, is rich in seafood such as sandfish, as well as delicious specialties such as iburi gakko, tonburi, and junsai.

There are also high-quality meats such as Hinai chicken and Akita Kuroge Wagyu beef (Akita Nishikigyu), and there are many popular ekiben that take advantage of these meats.

There are two ekiben vendors in Akita, Hanazon in Odate City and Sekineya in Akita City, and their bento boxes made with the delicious prefecture-produced rice ``Akitakomachi'' are sold at Akita Shinkansen stations.

What is Ekiben?

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 Akita prefecture!

It is no exaggeration to say that Akita prefecture's ekiben is a bento where you can enjoy the delicious rice produced in the prefecture, and the seasonal seafood and mountain side dishes complement the main character, "Akitakomachi", which is delicious even when cold. .

Chicken Meshi Bento (920 yen: Hanazon)

Speaking of Akita's ekiben, it has to be Odate's Hanazon chicken rice!

It is a popular ekiben with a history of 75 years (released in 1947) and was introduced on a TV program as one of Japan's three major chicken rice dishes.

Akitakomachi's 100% soy sauce-flavored rice cooked with a secret chicken stock goes well with the sweet and spicy simmered chicken thighs, making it as delicious as ever.

It seems that elementary and junior high schools in Odate City have chicken rice for school lunches, which is a very enviable story.

Hinai chicken rice (1,300 yen: Hanazon)

While maintaining the deliciousness of chicken rice, we use Hinai Jidori, one of Japan's three most delicious chickens, which Akita is proud of.

In addition to enjoying the taste of Hinai chicken with the salt-grilled thigh meat and sweet-salty stewed minced meat, this ekiben is also delicious with garnishes such as stewed ganmodoki and eggplant dengaku miso.

Restaurant Hanazen＜Information＞

Name: Restaurant Hanazon
Address: 1-10-2 Onaricho, Odate City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0186-43-0870
URL: Hanazon official website

Google Map

Akita meat lunch box (1,300 yen: Sekineya)

Three types of deliciously seasoned meat are placed on top of the fluffy Akitakomachi: Kuroge Wagyu beef from Akita prefecture (Akita Nishiki beef), Lake Towada highland pork, and Hinai chicken. Masu.

It was originally exhibited as a limited item at the East Japan Traverse Ekiben Tournament, but it was sold because of its good reputation.

Sakihokore bento (1,280 yen: Sekineya)

This ekiben, newly released on October 29, 2022, features delicious rice from Akita Prefecture.

The white rice is a new variety of rice from Akita Prefecture, ``Sakihokole,'' and it is placed in the middle of the bento box, as if to show that it is the star of this bento. Side dishes include Akita beef stew, Hinai chicken mince skewers, and assorted iburi gakko, all made with local ingredients.

Whole Akita Abalone Meshi (1,550: Sekineya)

This is a slightly luxurious bento box that was entered in JR East's ``2022 Aji no Jin'' and is only available for pre-order.

A large piece of abalone, which has been carefully seasoned and tenderized through sous vide cooking, is placed on top of tea rice cooked with Akita Komachi soup stock.

Next to the abalone, wakame seaweed simmered with salmon roe and perilla seeds is served, and apple compote is also included to give the dish a rest.

Sekineya＜Information＞

Name: Sekineya
Address: 1-1-26 Higashidori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 018-833-6461
URL: Sekineya official website

Google Map

Here are the stations where you can buy ekiben in Akita Prefecture!

In Akita Prefecture, you can purchase ekiben at each station on the Akita Shinkansen that separates from the Tohoku Shinkansen at Morioka, as well as at Odate Station on the Ou Main Line, where Hanazen is located, and Noshiro Station on the Gono Line, a popular local line that runs along the Sea of Japan. .

Akita Station (convenience store at ticket gate, Shinkansen/conventional line platform, souvenir shop Komachi-en)

JR East Tohoku General Service Official Website

Lunch boxes from Sekineya and Hanazon are sold at New Days at the central ticket gate, on the Shinkansen platform, and at Omiyage Komachien in the station building.

Although the number of items is small, they can also be purchased at kiosks on Shinkansen platforms and wagon sales on conventional line platforms.

Omagari Station (convenience store next to the ticket gate)

Hanazon and Sekineya bento boxes are sold at the KIOSK on the right after exiting the ticket gate.

Due to the size of the store, there are only a few types of bento available.

Kakunodate Station (convenience store inside the station building)

New Days in the waiting room sells a limited number of Hanazon and Sekineya ekiben.

Additionally, at Kakunodate Station on the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway, which is adjacent to JR Kakunodate Station, you can purchase 6 types of ``original iron rice'' and 3 types of ``hot water iron rice.''

Please note that various ekiben are planned depending on the season, and there may be limited quantities, so we recommend checking with the tourist information counter at Aniai Station before making a reservation.

For more information on bento boxes, please check the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway official website below.

Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway <Information>

Name: Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway Co., Ltd.
Address: 41-1 Ani Ginzan Shimoshinmachi, Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0186-82-3231
URL: Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway official website

Google Map

Tazawako Station (convenience store inside the station building)

Bento boxes from Hanazon and Sekineya are sold at the KIOSK in the waiting room, but the variety is limited.

Odate Station (convenience store inside the station building, Hanazon headquarters in front of the station)

You can purchase Hanazon bento boxes at New Days inside the station, or at the Hanazon main office in front of the station.

If you make a reservation at Hanazon by 17:00 the day before, you can pick up your lunch box at the train entrance, but since the stop time is short, be sure to have the exact amount on hand so you don't have change.

Noshiro Station (convenience store inside the station building)

You can purchase Hanazen's chicken rice and other foods at the KIOSK inside the station building, but reservations are recommended as there are only a few available.

Additionally, if you take the Gono Line's Resort Shirakami train, you can reserve Hanazen's chicken rice or Noshiro beef bento, which you can pick up upon arrival at Noshiro Station.

For details, please check the "JR Gono Line Travel" site on the JR East official website below.

JR East <Information>

Name: JR East
Phone number: 0185-53-5075 (chicken rice), 0185-54-7255 (Noshiro beef bento)
URL: JR Gono Line trip

summary

Odate/Hanazen's chicken rice is a long-selling ekiben like no other.

Back when the Blue Train operated on the Ou Main Line, many people would have made a reservation and purchased it at the exit upon arrival at Odate Station.

Nowadays, there are fewer trains like the Blue Train where you can enjoy a leisurely journey, but ekiben that make use of the delicious flavor of rice are appearing one after another in Akita Prefecture.