Shokado Bento
restaurant
Shokado Bento
松花堂弁当
Overview
The item most strongly associated with Shokado Shojo in modern Japan is “Shokado Bento,” a square meal box divided into four equal sections.
The Shokado bento box has a specific origin: in 1933, the founder of the famed Kitcho restaurant attended a tea ceremony in Yawata and was struck by a lacquered seed-storage box favored by the calligrapher and artist Shokado Shojo. He adapted the four-compartment design for his restaurant, naming it after Shojo. Today, the Kyoto Kitcho Shokado restaurant stands next to the Shokado Art Museum and still serves kaiseki cuisine in this format: four equal square sections holding different preparations, each in its own space. The box's clean geometry and lacquered finish remain closely associated with refined Kyoto dining.
Practical info
- Japanese name
- 松花堂弁当
- Nearest station
- Kitaoji Station (10 min walk)
- Reservations
- not required
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