The kyaraben (cute character bento) artist in Japan does not have to go it alone, armed only with basic tools. There's a big array of specialized tools that she (or the rare he) can use. I saw this company's products mentioned in several Japanese kyaraben blogs as being easy to use and innovative. And indeed they seem to be.

If you've ever bought an inexpensive small bento box at a 100 yen shop or via eBay, the chances are pretty high that it was made by one company, Nakano Co.. They are the ones responsible for the bento boxes carrying the mysterious Lube Sheep logo. After visiting their company web site, I still have no idea what it actually means, and it probably doesnt mean anything at all - it's just a cute piece of Japanglish that someone in the company thought sounded good. (Yes, I know it sounds a bit dirty, but let's try not to go there.)

The last couple of featured bento boxes have been strictly practical. This week I'm returning to the realm of the sublime, with these handcrafted wooden and lacquered bento boxes from Akita prefecture in northern Japan.

An adorable handmade bento bag from Etsy.

The sturdy, microwave-safe Ikea 365+ food savers are great inexpensive bento boxes. They look good too.

The minimalist white bento box offerings from Muji.

This week's focus is on non-disposable chopsticks that enhance your bento eating experience, as well as being a bit kinder to the environment.

This week for a change the bento box featured is one you can buy easily online on eBay. I've chosen it not because the bento box itself is special, but for the design on top, which makes me smile.