Two years ago, Christopher D Salyers's Face Food brought the curious, cute and infectiously popular phenomenon of charaben, or character bento boxes ... a glossary of Japanese culinary terms ...

In her married life, Matsuura developed an urge to make “kyara-ben” (character bento), or elaborate box lunches that feature cute characters ... Christianity to Japan; Napoleon Bonaparte ...

These were commonly sold during the intervals of kabuki performances (traditional Japanese theatre), and can be seen as the genesis of what we know as the modern bento box — and makunouchi are ...