Aug 28, 2025 22:00:00

I tried the futuristic 'One-Handed BENTO' at the Osaka Kansai Expo, where the entire bento fits in one hand, and the affordable 'Nori Bento' for just 500 yen and the excellent 'Eggplant Miso' with miso sauce.

The Osaka Healthcare Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo is showcasing 'Food and Culture of the Future,' where you can actually taste the food of the future. At the Hokka Hokka Tei booth, you can try the 'One- Handed Bento ,' a bento box with the main dish and side dish packed into a size that can be held in one hand. While Expo meals tend to be a bit pricey, the 'One-Handed Bento Nori Bento' is a relatively reasonable 500 yen (tax included). Furthermore, a new flavor will be released on September 1, 2025, so we had a sneak peek.

Hokkahokkatei x EXPO2025 | Food Experience of the Future
https://www.hokkahokka-tei.jp/expo2025

The Osaka Healthcare Pavilion is located on the right side of the East Gate, just outside the large roof ring. On the official map, it is assigned the serial number 'E02.'

This is the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion.

There is a separate entrance for the food and merchandise area, separate from the main exhibition entrance. Reservations are required to view the exhibits at the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, but you can enter the food and merchandise area immediately without a reservation.

There were two entrances to the food and merchandise area.

This is what the inside looks like.

And this is the Hoka Hoka Tei booth.

The main product is the 'One Hand BENTO,' a bento box that can be held in one hand. While the food at the Expo is often thought to be on the expensive side, the One Hand BENTO 'Nori Bento' can be purchased for just 500 yen including tax.

There are also slightly better options like conger eel (1,500 yen including tax) and wagyu beef (1,700 yen including tax). Conger eel will be available until the end of August, and from September 1st, a new item, eggplant miso (890 yen including tax), will be added.

This time I had the nori bento and eggplant miso. For an additional 600 yen, you can add a fried food set, so I chose the eggplant miso with the fried food set.

There is no dining area inside the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, so you have to go outside to eat. This time, we decided to eat at a seat with a parasol located between the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion and the large roof ring.

This is the one-hand bento set with nori bento and eggplant miso (fried food set).

This is what the nori bento looks like. It's like a luxurious version of

onigirazu , with seaweed, rice, and ingredients piled up one on top of the other. Between the rice are omelets and fried chikuwa with seaweed, and on top is fried white fish.

There was also some bonito flakes sandwiched in between.

You eat it by grabbing it with your hands like this. The taste is just like a nori bento, and the contrast between the soft texture of the rice and the crispy texture of the fried food is nice. It feels a little small for a single meal, so it's just the right amount for when you want to eat a variety of foods at the venue and want a light lunch.

I'll also try the eggplant miso.

Eggplant is sandwiched between rice and grilled lotus root is placed on top.

It is filled with a generous amount of miso sauce, which is a blend of barley miso, rice miso, soy meat, and more.

When I tried it, the sweet and spicy miso sauce and the soft eggplant were a perfect match, going perfectly with rice. The crunchy texture of the grilled lotus root was a nice accent, making it a dish I never got tired of.

The fried food included hash browns and two pieces of fried chicken. The fried chicken was apparently made with special spices supervised by culinary researcher Ryuji, and had a distinctive, rich flavor that was delicious even when cold.

GIGAZINE has also written various articles about the food available at the Expo site and the exhibits. The articles published so far are summarized in the links below, so please use them as a reference for your sightseeing plans.

Summary of reports from the 'Osaka-Kansai Expo' - GIGAZINE