Kimono

Kimono Onigiri Box (Hakoya)

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	Length	Width	Ht	Volume	Footprint
Top Tier (inside dimensions)	5.7"	3.3"		310 ml
Bottom Tier (inside dimensions)				240 ml
Assembled (outside dimensions)				550 ml

What's it good for?

Small to medium cold lunch.
Small wraps or burritos - possibly two stacked on top of each other
Sandwiches made on small buns or oblong hard rolls + cold snacks or sides
Tall Chinese buns (pork buns, sesame taro buns, etc.) + cold snacks or sides
Snack box - fruit and cheese in the top, nuts and crackers in the bottom

This is my prettiest bento box by far. It is intended for holding onigiri (Japanese sticky rice balls), but I doubt I will ever use it for that. I thought it would make a nice box for snacks or small lunches, similar in size to the two-tier Lube Sheep but with a different form factor. Okay, I didn't exactly need this box, but it is so gorgeous I couldn't resist.

Purchased May, 2010, from Bento&Co for 13.8 Euros (about $17). It came with the red bento band. The matching bag cost 6.80 Euros (about $8). These are extremely reasonable prices for high-quality Hakoya products. The prices were so affordable that I splurged on the fastest shipping option (partly because that included insurance). My order arrived incredibly fast - about 5 days! I would definitely recommend this vendor. I found a similar box with a different pattern on Amazon under the name "Japanese Yuzen Lunch Bento Box" for $27.

I liked the idea of the high domed compartment, but have been having a hard time finding things to use it for. I had hoped that small applesauce containers would fit into it, but they are a little too wide. Fruit, sandwiches and frozen Chinese pork buns seem to be the best use for it.

Composition: ABS (not microwave safe)

Product description from Bento&Co website
Onigiri Bento Kimono is a compact bento box with a domed lid. This part is designed to keep onigiri, or Japanese rice balls, upright without crushing them. You could also put small sandwiches or pieces of fruit here. The lower compartment has its own leak-resistant flexible lid, for putting in other foods. A typical onigiri lunch in Japan might have onigiri rice balls with pickled plum filling, with some stewed vegetables, grilled fish and tamagoyaki (a Japanese omelette) in the bottom compartment. The domed lid is covered with a beautiful pattern that imitates traditional kimono cloth motifs. The pattern may vary slightly from the ones pictured. A bright red elastic bento band is included, to keep the box securely closed in your bag. Total capacity: 550 ml (upper compartment: 310, lower compartment: 240). Measurements: 144 × 87 × 85mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.3"). The box is made of ABS. Withstands temperatures between -10°C to 60°C (14°F to 140°F). The inner lid is made of PL. Withstands temperatures between -20°C to 60°C ((-4°F to 140°F). Not microwave safe. Handwashing is recommended to prevent the pattern from fading. Made in Japan, in Ishikawa by Hakoya.


		Maiden Voyage - healthy hearty snack box I didn't have any rounded obloid objects to put under the domed lid, but hose little square silicone cups fit perfectly. The green one holds steamed edamame and pickled ginger. The blue one has cottage cheese and tomatoes, garnished with parsley. The surprisingly roomy bottom tier is mostly full of Chinese soy crackers and nuts, with a dessert of dark chocolate and a fresh strawberry in the little penguin-shaped silicon cup. This was a sidekick box I brought along as an afternoon snack. It turned out to be a pretty filling snack.
		Another snack box Those are mini-bananas in the top tier, along with some mandarin orange sections. More orange sections, roasted nuts and a Laughing Cow cheese wheel in the bottom. -------------------------------------------- Two Chinese Pork Buns Those are frozen buns that would need to be microwaved for one minute and then finished in a toaster oven for another minute. It would probably be a good idea to place them in little paper cups to make it easy to microwave them separately. I haven't actually used these in a lunch yet - I was just experimenting with size.
		Sandwich and side dishes This was a filling lunch. The chicken sandwich is made on a half loaf of something called "pretzel bread," found in the artisan bread section of a hoity-toity grocery store. Bottom tier: one roast chicken thigh, stuffed mushrooms and tomato, with carrot/raisin stir-fry underneath. Note that the square silicone cups do fit in the bottom tier, but have to be squished down a bit to get the lid closed. I just realized that I microwaved that bottom tier lightly, which I wasn't supposed to do per the manufacturer's instructions. Didn't seem to do any damage, but I'll try to remember not to do that in the future.
		Little cups that work as inner compartments The square silicone cups are the best. They fit perfectly in the top tier and can be used in the bottom tier with a little compression. The round cupcake sized ones are definitely too tall for the bottom tier, but work just fine if trimmed down with a small scissors. The two little penguin cups are very short and fit easily.