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Watch Japanology Plus Season 2 Episode 9 online — it may be available on legal streaming platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and others.

In Japan, no leisure trip by rail would be complete without an ekiben: a boxed meal sold at the station that is packed with local flavor. Ekiben are nearly as old as Japan's railways, and have evolved with the passing years. These days, they're even playing a role in stimulating local economies. Our expert guest, Shinobu Kobayashi, is a travel writer who has been eating 20 different ekiben each week on her travels around Japan over the last 20 years. And in Plus One, how to make a bento box.