When you think of Tokyo Station and the Shinkansen, “Ekiben” (train bento boxes) naturally come to mind. However, for this trip, I wanted to try something a little different. With one hour to spare before my connection, I explored Gransta Tokyo inside the ticket gates to procure some treats for the journey.
For a food-loving family like ours, there is nothing we look forward to more than a meal on the move (lol)! I’m excited to share four gourmet items we actually bought at Tokyo Station that were so delicious, we’re already craving them again.
Tenmusu (Shrimp Tempura Rice Balls) by Jiraiya
“Tenmusu” are small, bite-sized rice balls filled with shrimp tempura. Jiraiya is a famous establishment that was founded in Nagoya in 1985 and has been dedicated to using high-quality rice and nori (seaweed) ever since.
To be honest, I used to be the type who wouldn’t usually choose tempura when it’s part of a pre-packed bento. However, since my husband encouraged me to try these during a Shinkansen trip two years ago, I have been completely captivated!
What I purchased this time:
The 3-Color Bento (Standard Tenmusu, Black Rice, and Takana)
The standard Tenmusu was delicious, of course, but the black rice and Takana versions were also superb! Even the pickled vegetables on the side were tasty, and the kids really enjoyed eating them.
The Takana (pickled mustard greens) seemed a little spicy for my younger son, but my eldest son and I couldn’t stop eating them!
Since they are bite-sized, they are perfect for sharing with the family alongside other bento boxes.
Onigiri by TARO TOKYO ONIGIRI
Both the kids and I are definitely “rice lovers”!
We often buy onigiri (rice balls) when we head out, but this time, I decided to try something new, drawn in by the phrase “Komeya-no” (meaning “from the rice shop”).
These were honestly, truly delicious……!!
Specialty-grade Rice
The rice was so glossy and chewy—the kind of deliciousness that makes you want to take a huge, hearty bite. When I looked it up, I found out they use “JAS Organic Certified Rice,” grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers for over three years. No wonder it tasted so amazing!
Crispy Nori (Seaweed)
Since the nori comes separately, you can wrap it yourself right before eating to ensure it stays perfectly crispy. It is truly the “ultimate high-end version of a convenience store onigiri” (lol).
The Ultimate Fillings for Onigiri
This time, we bought four varieties: Salmon Roe (Ikura), Mackerel (Saba), Takana, and Plum Bonito (Ume-Katsuo).
The Salmon Roe was a bit pricey at 480 yen, but my sons wouldn’t budge once they saw it, so we went for it. After just one bite, it was so incredibly delicious that I instantly regretted not buying three!
To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this good. Since the onigiri are on the smaller side, I really should have picked up a few more.
We ate two on the Shinkansen, and saved the Takana and Plum Bonito for the following morning. I expected the rice to be hard by then, but surprisingly, it was still delicious! It really lives up to the reputation of a high-quality station bento.
I think these are great to have on hand—not just as part of a meal, but as a snack for when you get a little hungry or to prepare for the kids’ sudden “I’m hungry!” moments.
Yakitori by Kushikura Kyoto Oike
My husband was the one who spotted these and decided to buy them. We actually bought 10 pieces, but this is the only photo I have left…
Our whole family absolutely loves yakitori—we even make it ourselves when we go camping! But these looked so tempting and delicious that we couldn’t help but buy a whole bunch of them.
Garlic Yakitori?!
The one that truly blew me away was the skewer with garlic cloves tucked in between!
Honestly, whoever thought of adding garlic like this is a genius (lol). I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re worried about your breath, but if you’re a garlic lover, this is an absolute must-try!
A Big Hit with the Kids!
For the kids, I picked out the round tsukune (chicken meatballs) and the ones coated in sticky rice. They were so delicious that they were all gone before we even reached Sendai!
U-Pie by YOU-PAIME
They looked so colorful and beautiful that my oldest son and I fell in love with them at first sight and just had to buy them.
We were so full on the Shinkansen that we ended up saving these for the next morning. I expected them to be soggy by then, but to my surprise, they were still perfectly crispy!
They feature a cheese-flavored pie crust generously coated with chocolate and strawberry chocolate. While the edges have that savory cheese taste, eating them with the chocolate creates a luxurious flavor, almost like a chocolate mille-feuille.
Since the kids had finally fallen asleep, I decided not to open them on the train and enjoyed them at the hotel the next day instead. A word of caution: the chocolate melts quickly when touched and the crust can be quite crumbly, so it might be better to eat them at your accommodation rather than on the train. That said, they were delicious, and the kids looked so happy munching on the chocolate parts!
inal Thoughts
While some ekiben (station bento) are a “once is enough” experience, every single item we chose this time was a huge hit—so much so that I would definitely want to eat them all over again! If you’re at Tokyo Station and can’t decide what to get, I highly recommend giving these a try!
