Akita Prefecture, up in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, is famous nationwide as rice country — home of the Akitakomachi variety you’ll find on menus across Japan. Since 2023, you no longer have to travel all the way there to try its most celebrated ekiben (station bento): JR West Japan Food Service Net’s ekiben shops carry a rotating lineup from Sekineya, an Akita institution founded in 1902, at two stations in the Kansai region — Shin-Osaka and Kyoto — the first time the company’s bento have been sold this far west.
The bento are prepared in Akita and shipped down using the prefecture’s own Akitakomachi rice and Sakihokore, a newer premium variety, along with other local ingredients.
Sekineya’s Signature Bento
Akita Hinai-jidori Kodawari Torimeshi — ¥1,480 (yen)
Built entirely around Hinai-jidori, one of Japan’s “three great chickens.” The Akitakomachi rice is cooked in a Hinai-jidori bone broth, then topped with the same chicken teriyaki-grilled, tsukune (chicken meatballs), and sesame soboro. This one has real pedigree: it placed at the 2022 Fabex prepared-foods and bento awards.
Sakihokore Bento (Deluxe) — ¥1,880 (yen)
Built around Sakihokore, the Akita-bred rice variety that launched in October 2022. The deluxe, two-tier version lines both sides of the rice with seasoned Akita beef and Hinai-jidori soboro, alongside an elaborate, colorful spread of side dishes. This one won an award at the 2023 Fabex competition too.
E6 Series Komachi Lunch — ¥1,680 (yen)
Packaged in a box designed after the livery of the Akita Shinkansen’s E6 series trainset — a fun pick-me-up for a rail fan, and one that’s just as enjoyable to keep as a souvenir once you’ve eaten.
Sekineya sells other bento beyond these three as well, so there’s more to discover if you visit more than once.
Japan’s “ekiben” culture treats a boxed meal almost like a regional souvenir: shops from famous food regions set up shop far from home so travelers passing through a major hub station can sample a place they may never actually visit. Sekineya’s arrival in Kansai is a classic example — a taste of Akita, some 500 km to the northeast, without leaving Osaka or Kyoto.
Where to Find Them
Shin-Osaka Station
Tabi Bento Ekiben Nigiwai, inside Ekimarche Shin-Osaka (6:30–22:00)
Tabi Bento Ekiben Nigiwai Arde, inside Arde Shin-Osaka (7:00–21:30)
Kyoto Station
Tabi Bento Ekiben Nigiwai Kyoto, on the north-south concourse outside the west-exit ticket gates (7:00–21:30)
There’s a real thrill in trying an ekiben from a region you’ve never visited. If you’re passing through Shin-Osaka or Kyoto, this is a good chance to sample one of Akita’s most-loved bento without the six-hour trip north.
(Photos: JR West)
Tetsudo Channel (Railway Channel) Editorial Team
(tetsudo-ch.com — Japan Travel, Trains & Weekend Outings)