Life In Japan: Revenge Bento

Hope you find this as funny as I did when my wife, Masumi, told me about it.

Evidence would suggest that in many other countries, when a wife gets really mad at her husband, she hires an attorney or a hit man. Or she becomes a radical feminist and joins in on militant public displays of man-hating. Shooting and poisoning a misbehaving hubby are also popular options but there are legal repercussions. If she’s truly at the end of her rope, she goes to a gender reassignment specialist and ends up with five o’clock shadow and the ugly habit of spitting on public sidewalks. Finally, at the very extreme end of the spectrum, she goes on a vision quest with a Tibetan sherpa in the Himalaya Mountains, never to be seen again.

Here in Japan, the wrath of an angry wife takes a much milder form: REVENGE BENTO!

Bento is what we Westerners would call a ‘lunchbox’ — ‘Mittagsbox’ in German, ‘boîte à déjeuner’ in French, ‘škatla s kosilom’ in Slovenian.

Bento is everywhere here in Japan. Bento restaurants, bento food stands, bento in schools, bento at the train station, bento at the beach, bento at the ball game.

I have to say, bento is great! Reasonable, healthy and delicious. Quick and easy.

We’re now ready to get into the meat of this article, food for thought on the cultural and psychological forces at work here in present day Japan.

A typical Japanese wife will prepare a lunch bento for her typical Japanese husband, then send him on his way to whatever his job is.

However . . .

An angry Japanese wife will send him on his way . . . but the bento will include a message.

Here are some examples. They are self-explanatory.

REVENGE BENTO!

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” – William Congreve The Mourning Bride