Укоротите текст по и оставьте самое главное: an obento, or bento, is one of the oldest food traditions in japan. basically, it is lunch served in a box. obento boxes have been part of the japanese society since the 5th century when people used to take a packed lunch with them to work. bentos have become very popular since then and you can buy them almost anywhere nowadays at theatres, airports and even at train stations. an obento usually consists of four parts rice, three parts meat or fish (fried or grilled), two parts vegetables (pickled1, boiled or steamed) and one part fruit. it should be nourishing and healthy, but it must be appealing too. you often see food shaped like flowers, animals and sometimes even cartoon characters! mothers take great pride in creating 'school-bentos' for their children.