The two-layered, handmade, folded wooden packages are named Ichi-no-jyu and Nino-jyu, respectively, and the first layer is made by Kyoto’s Meitei Kikunoi and the second by Tokyo’s Ajijidokoro Kichizaoka. Such a co-starring of East and West from different cultures is not only a reflection of Yamanashi Prefecture’s location, but also a glamorous profile of anything and everything, just like on TV in the 1980s.
The first layer of rice is walnut rice with a rich texture and flavor of crunchy walnuts. The side dishes include crispy kinpira (fried lotus root), pickled celery with sakekasu (sake lees) that retains the celery flavor but has less of a peculiar taste, Koshu-ni (wild fish stewed in Koshu) that has a strong flavor, sesame-veined fried bean curd with sesame paste, and refreshingly light cauliflower with lemon zest. The variety of flavors is impressive. But even as you eat your way through the dish, there is no sense of disjointedness. On the contrary, I even feel the cohesiveness of traditional Japanese flavors.
The second layer of rice is a slightly sweet chestnut and shimeji mushroom rice. As you eat the rice, you can smell the aroma of the bamboo grass underneath, which is quite pleasant. The chicken skewered with yuzu miso is not so strong in its yuzu flavor, but rather light and hearty. Asparagus wrapped with pork is a good combination of pork fat and asparagus.
While the first layer has a strong traditional Japanese flavor, the second layer is more youthful. The two-tiered bento is large enough in quantity, but it does not give the impression of a full, hearty meal. At 1,750 yen, it is a bit pricey, but recommended for those who want to enjoy a varied meal.
Incidentally, the art direction for the wrapping paper was done by film director Juzo Itami, and the illustrator and author, Mizumaru Anzai, drew the illustration. The mountains of the Yatsugatake mountain range are depicted along with their elevations, and the steam locomotive running on the railway bridge at the foot of the mountains with its whistle blowing is quite a cute sight.
© Source travel watch