National Bento Box Situation Survey 2026

Nichirei Foods Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director: Masahiko Takenaga, hereinafter referred to as "Nichirei Foods") conducted the "National Bento Box Situation Survey" in conjunction with "Bento Box Starting Day®" on April 10th. The proportion of people who make bento boxes once a month or more is about the same as 6 years ago, but among bento makers, those who make them for themselves accounted for 81.2%, the highest result since the survey began in 2017. Looking at age groups, the proportion of young men was increasing. There is a trend indicating that bento boxes are changing from being something made for you to something you bring yourself. 63.0% of people use frozen foods in their bento boxes once a week or more, revealing that using frozen foods is accepted as an option adapted to busy lives.

Rankings for "Expenses for Bento Boxes," "Preparation Time," and "Proportion of Bento Box Makers" by prefecture are included.

Additionally, an investigation was conducted into lunch expenses for dining out※1 and pre-prepared meals※2.

※1 "Dining out" refers to meals eaten at restaurants outside the home.

※2 "Pre-prepared meals" refers to meals where cooked ingredients such as bento boxes are purchased, taken home, and eaten at home, work, or school (includes all purchased bento boxes, side dishes, and convenience store items).

What is "Bento Box Starting Day®"?

According to Nichirei Foods' survey, since the frequency of bento boxes appearing on dining tables and the demand for bento making increase around April 10th, an application was submitted to the Japan Anniversary Association to register April 10th as "Bento Box Starting Day®," and it was certified in 2017. In addition, this period is a season when bento boxes are often imagined due to the start of "new life" and "new school semester." Furthermore, it originates from the resemblance of the character "弁" (ben) in "弁当" (bento) to the number "4," and the phonetic resemblance of "当" (tou) to "10.".

1. 81.2% Make Bento Boxes for Themselves; Highest Number Since 2017

The proportion of people who make bento boxes once a month or more is nearly unchanged from 6 years ago. Among bento makers, those who make them for themselves accounted for 81.2%, the highest result since the survey began in 2017.

As children's bento boxes decrease, the proportion of people making bento boxes for themselves to save money is increasing.

2. While Women Making Bento Boxes Decrease, the Proportion of Men Increases

The proportion of women making bento boxes is declining, particularly among those in their 20s, while there is an increasing trend of young men making bento boxes.

It appears that the number of men in their 20s and 30s who make bento boxes is increasing.

3. Average Number of Bento Items is 3.40; Fewer for Self, More for Others

The average number of side dishes in bento boxes was 3.40.

Looking at the breakdown, bento boxes for oneself averaged 3.17 items, while those for spouses averaged 3.71 items, and for children averaged 4.03 items, showing a tendency for more items as the recipient is someone else. This suggests everyday ingenuity and thoughtfulness, where one's own portion is simple, but a little more effort is put into family members' portions.

By gender, for bento boxes for oneself, men averaged 3.22 items and women averaged 3.09 items. For bento boxes for spouses, when made by women, the average was 3.75 items, and when made by men, it was 3.60 items, showing a slight tendency for women to include more items when making for men. Looking at children's life stages, infants/toddlers averaged 4.45 items, elementary school students averaged 4.21 items (lower grades 4.06 items / upper grades 4.36 items), and junior high school students averaged 4.64 items, showing a tendency for more items during developmental stages.

■Number of Bento Items: Average 3.40 items

　・For oneself: 3.17 items ・For spouse: 3.71 items ・For child: 4.03 items

■Men's bento for self: Average 3.22 items ・Women's bento for self: Average 3.09 items
■Men's bento for spouse: 3.60 items ・Women's bento for spouse: 3.75 items

4. 63.0% Use Frozen Foods in Bento Boxes Once a Week or More; 67.5% Want to Continue Using Them

When asked about the "frequency of using frozen foods" by bento makers, 63.0% responded "once a week or more." This is a 0.3 point increase from the previous survey (2024). Although the usage rate of once a week or more significantly decreased from 2018 to 2019, a gradual increase in usage has been observed.

When asked about frequently used frozen foods for bento boxes, the order of usage frequency was "Fried Chicken" (7.1 times/month), "Croquettes (potato/cream, etc.)" (6.8 times/month), "Hamburg Steaks" (5.3 times/month), "Cup-style prepared dishes" like hijiki and kinpira (5.3 times/month), and "Shumai" (5.1 times/month).

When asked about popular menus for themselves and their families, the rankings were 1st: "Fried Chicken," 2nd: "Omelet/Scrambled Eggs," 3rd: "Hamburg Steak."

There was also a tendency to incorporate popular dishes or those that take time to make by hand into bento boxes by utilizing frozen foods.

Rankings for "Expenses for Bento Boxes," "Preparation Time," and "Proportion of Bento Box Makers" by prefecture are presented.

5. Average Expense for Homemade Bento Boxes is 252.8 Yen, About Half the Cost of Weekday Pre-prepared Meals or Dining Out

When asked about "expenses for bento boxes" by bento makers, the national average was 252.8 yen.

By prefecture, the highest expense was in "Kanagawa Prefecture (290.0 yen)," followed by "Osaka Prefecture (275.7 yen)" in 2nd place, and "Saga Prefecture (274.6 yen)" in 3rd place.

On the other hand, the lowest expense was in "Mie Prefecture (198.3 yen)."

6. "Preparation Time" is an Average of 17 Minutes and 38 Seconds; Shortest First: 1st Place "Oita Prefecture," 2nd Place "Gifu Prefecture," 3rd Place "Fukuoka Prefecture"

When asked about "preparation time" by bento makers, the national average was 17 minutes and 38 seconds.

The shortest time by prefecture was in "Oita Prefecture (14 minutes 19 seconds)," resulting in bento boxes being made faster than the shortest prefecture in 2024 (Gunma Prefecture). Second place was "Gifu Prefecture (14 minutes 46 seconds)," and third place was "Fukuoka Prefecture (15 minutes 5 seconds)." On the other hand, the longest time was in "Tokyo Metropolis (20 minutes 53 seconds)."

Meanwhile, "Mie Prefecture (198.3 yen)," which spends less on bento expenses, also had a preparation time in the 15-minute range, suggesting quick preparation.

7. "Proportion of Bento Box Makers" is 27.6%; Most First: 1st Place "Miyazaki Prefecture," 2nd Place "Aomori Prefecture," 3rd Place "Oita Prefecture"

When asked about "frequency of making bento boxes" to men and women aged 20s to 60s living nationwide, 27.6% responded "make once a month or more."

Looking at the proportion of people who make bento boxes once a month or more by prefecture, the highest was "Miyazaki Prefecture (37.5%)," followed by "Aomori Prefecture (35.7%)" in second place, and "Oita Prefecture (34.6%)" in third place.

On the other hand, the lowest was in "Kanagawa Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture (23.1%)."

When asked about the average amount spent on lunch for dining out※1 and pre-prepared meals※2 over the past year, "Dining out on holidays" was the highest at 1129.4 yen, followed by "Dining out on weekdays" at 937.5 yen, "Pre-prepared meals on holidays" at 795.9 yen, and "Pre-prepared meals on weekdays" at 671.2 yen. There was a tendency to spend more money on holidays than on weekdays. By prefecture, Tokyo Metropolis ranked high.

※1 "Dining out" refers to meals eaten at restaurants outside the home.

※2 "Pre-prepared meals" refers to meals where cooked ingredients such as bento boxes are purchased, taken home, and eaten at home, work, or school (includes all purchased bento boxes, side dishes, and convenience store items).

※Rounding to the second decimal place, and due to the possibility of referring to results from multiple answers, the total may not reach 100%.

※This release uses results from previous surveys conducted by Nichirei Foods (2017, 2018, 2019, 2024).

※When using the survey results, please be sure to clearly state "Compiled by Nichirei Foods."