Bento Blogs: Japanese Women\'s Expression in Digital Food Culture

For many Japanese mothers today, the bento (boxed lunch) that they prepare for their children is an expressive medium, used to construct intricate images that reference popular culture. Within the past five years, bento weblogs, through which Japanese and non-Japanese women regularly publish their food-based creations on the Internet, have become increasingly prevalent both in and outside of Japan. Through such blogs, women interact with a network of women in similar circumstances, sharing ideas and experiences on subjects such as childcare and food preparation. The bento's purpose thus transmutes from an intimate communication between preparer and consumer into a supportive public discourse between peers. In the context of Japan, women bloggers reiterate the importance of bento within Japanese socialization and the gendered role in preparing it, but claim a public setting for their work. Blogs thus offer a visual and literal articulation of the effort that goes into these otherwise ephemeral creations.