The Panda Kuroshio “Sustainable Smile Train” wrapping train, jointly developed by Wakayama’s “Adventure World” theme park and JR West Japan, was introduced in 2020 to commemorate the operation of the “Panda Kuroshio” train.
Awajiya, a long-established ekiben vendor in Kobe that sells numerous ekiben in the Kansai region, was in charge of the project. Awaji-ya is the same company that has been selling a variety of railway-related ekiben, such as “Hittaridako-meshi” (rice cooked with a variety of ingredients), “JR Freight Container Bento” for travelers, and “Dream Super Express Series 0 Shinkansen Bento” for the 2025 era.
The motive for the purchase was the design of the wrapping paper. I chose it without giving much thought to the contents. The contents consisted of two rounded “rice ball-like” rice balls and a colorful side dish. The simple rice served in a round shape, topped with three small oval-shaped nori (seaweed) strips, is a giant panda character bento. The black bean stew stuffed in the gaps is ear-like. Hats off to the idea of creating the maximum effect with the minimum amount of effort. This panda looks like an onigiri (rice ball), but it is difficult to eat by hand, so it is eaten with chopsticks.
The side dish is a yellow omelet topped with orange carrots cut into star shapes. The sides are covered with boiled broccoli, which gives the dish a bright and fun color. The octopus sausage is also included, making it look a bit childish, but the carrot stew is not too sweet, and the broccoli has a very nice vegetable flavor, so the taste is not too childish.
Spaghetti is hidden under the side dish, but since there are no other strong-flavored side dishes, the taste of this ketchup is unexpectedly strong, accentuating the bento. Dessert is a rice cake with red bean paste wrapped in a bamboo leaf. The reason it is a panda’s bento is because it is made of bamboo grass.
The pandas left Adventure World on June 28, 2025. And in January of this year, they left their last stronghold, the Ueno Zoo. I watched the excitement of the panda’s last day in Japan on TV and was a little surprised at how much they were loved, but the panda-faced express train “Panda Kuroshio” and ekiben are still going strong. Why don’t you enjoy your trip on the limited express train while eating an ekiben with your feelings in your heart?
© Source travel watch