Photo/Illutration The “makunouchi-bento,” left, and “Suisu-gyu no gyumeshi” will be offered in Switzerland. Their package designs are shown above in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Dec. 4. (Toru Amemiya)

Japanese "ekiben" box lunches sold at railroad stations will soon be making the long journey to Switzerland for train commuters to try there.

Three long-established train lunch makers in Japan, including Maneki Foods based in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, are collaborating in the effort.

They are hoping to “bring Japanese ekiben to a new level of global ekiben,” as they will begin by promoting their train lunches for a limited period of three weeks.

The three are Maneki Foods, in business since 1888, Hanazen, established in Akita Prefecture in 1899, and Matsuura Shoten, founded in Aichi Prefecture in 1922.

They formed a consortium called Ekiben World Team (EWT) in March and held a tasting event in Zurich in northeastern Switzerland in October to decide on the menu and work out ways to make and sell the box lunches.

Zurich is a transport hub of railways that connect European countries, and the East Japan Railway Co. and the Swiss National Railway are also collaborating in this project.

On Feb. 6, a shop selling train lunches made by the three companies will open in Zurich Central Station and six kinds of lunches, two from each company, numbering a total of 150 to 180 will be offered per day.

They will adopt a sales demonstration style by setting up a joint kitchen that is visible to the public and sell the lunches until Feb. 27 to local commuters and tourists.

Maneki Foods will sell a “gyumeshi” box lunch with seasoned slices of Swiss beef on rice along with a “makunouchi” box lunch featuring rice and a variety of side dishes, which it has been selling since the year after the company was founded.

Although it will use local ingredients including the beef, the company will bring frozen rice from Japan to offer an authentic flavor.

While Maneki Foods have sold its products in Taiwan and Thailand, this will be its first foray into Europe.

Noritaka Takeda, president of Maneki Foods and vice chairman of EWT, said, “We wanted to draw attention to Japanese ingredients as much as possible, but we will start by presenting the ekiben and spreading the culture.”

He believes that if such efforts slowly take root overseas, they may have positive impacts on inbound tourists who come to Japan.

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