We're sharing easy and budget-friendly homemade bento box recipes from Japan!

  • 鮭西京焼きといなり寿司弁当
  • Bento boxes that can be eaten as snacks on the train while traveling.

    Salmon and Inari Sushi Bento

    2026.03.29 | asparagus

    My wife is going on a trip, so this is a bento box she'll eat on the bullet train. She requested a bento box that could also serve as a snack.

Ingredients and Instructions for Making Inari Sushi (2 Servings)

Inside Inari Sushi

  • Gomoku Chirashi Mix
    1 bag
    Rice
    500g (1.5 cups) warm rice
    • For the vinegared rice inside the inari sushi, we’ll use a mix. Just mix the Gomoku Chirashi Mix into warm rice.

  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento

Deep-fried tofu pouches for Inari Sushi

  • Deep-fried tofu
    5 pieces
    Soy sauce
    2 tablespoons (30g)
    Mirin
    2 tablespoons (30g)
    Sugar
    2 tablespoons (30g)
    Dashi stock powder
    1 teaspoon (5g)
    Hot water
    300ml
    • Add the seasonings to the blanched fried tofu and simmer.

    • Simmer for about 10 minutes after boiling, then let it sit for about 20 minutes after turning off the heat.

    • Put the vinegared rice into the fried tofu.

  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
Husband

Making sushi rice is surprisingly troublesome, so I used a mixed sushi mix.

Wife

It’s good because it has fillings. Inari sushi was easy to eat on the Shinkansen.

Ingredients and Instructions for Cherry Tomatoes with Shiso Leaves (1 serving)

Cherry Tomatoes with Shiso Leaves

  • Cherry Tomatoes
    2
    Shiso Leaves
    3
    Olive Oil
    A Little (2g)
    Salt
    A Little (1g)
    • Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes, as bacteria tend to breed around the stems.

    • Mix the chopped shiso leaves with olive oil and salt and place on top of the cherry tomatoes.

Husband

I thought about sprinkling some salt on it… but I decided to season the shiso leaves instead.

Wife

Good idea, the shiso smells great. Add more shiso lol

Ingredients and Instructions for Mitsuba Tamagoyaki (Serves 2)

Mitsuba Tamagoyaki

  • Eggs
    2
    Mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
    1/3
    Water
    1 tablespoon (15g)
    Sugar
    1 tablespoon (15g)
    Salt
    A pinch
    • Put everything in and mix.

    • Stir about 3 times. And it’s done.

    • 1 tablespoon (15g)
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento

Ingredients and Instructions for Okra and Edamame Salad with Bonito Flakes (Serves 2)

Okra and Edamame Salad with Bonito Flakes

  • Okra
    5 pieces
    Frozen Edamame
    20 beans
    Soy Sauce
    2 teaspoons (10g)
    Bonito Flakes
    2g
    • Remove the stems from the okra, cut it in half, and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

    • Mix the edamame and okra, which have been brought back to room temperature, with soy sauce and bonito flakes.

  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
Wife

This was also just right as a palate cleanser. It went well with alcohol too lol

Husband

Right? I was drinking while eating this too lol

Ingredients and Instructions for Sweet and Spicy Lotus Root (2 servings)

Sweet and Spicy Lotus Root

  • Lotus Root
    250g
    Potato Starch
    1 tablespoon (15g)
    Soy Sauce, Mirin, Soy Sauce, Sake
    1.5 tablespoons (25g)
    Toasted Sesame Seeds
    A Little
    • Peel the lotus root and cut it into ginkgo leaf shapes about 1cm thick.

    • 1Coat with potato starch.

    • Once the lotus root is cooked, add the seasonings and stir-fry until thickened.

    • Finally mix in sesame seeds and it’s done.

  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento

Ingredients and Instructions for Silver Salmon Saikyo-yaki (2 servings)

Silver Salmon Saikyo-yaki

  • Grilled Silver Salmon with Saikyo Miso
    Offcuts
    • Remove the miso as it will burn. Then grill, starting with the skin side, until browned.

  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
  • Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
Husband

It was cheap because the shape wasn’t perfect, and some pieces are small, but 4 slices for 300 yen is cheap, right?

Wife

Yeah, the shape was nice too. It was delicious and a good purchase.

The bento is complete

Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Inari Sushi Bento
Husband

That’s nice, Ebisu

Wife

Well, we splurge when we travel♪

Making a bento box for my wife again today: A clumsy husband's record of his loving bento boxes
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