



Filled with food crafted to look like the stars of cartoons and videogames, character bento boxes look so cute you might not want to eat what’s inside them — but your kids will.

The 2008 book Face Food: The Visual Creativity of Japanese Bento Boxes chronicles the culture of charaben, or kyaraben, the culinary art form perfected by Japanese women. These mothers lovingly prepare delightful works of art for their kids to take to school.

“Some of the parents I spoke to made charaben to improve their children’s nutritional health,” Face Food author Christopher D. Saylers told Wired.com. “Others had sociological concerns: The charaben helped their child become more popular in school.”

His new book, Face Food Recipes , shows how to make these colorful creations. The book contains photos of each character bento for inspiration, along with pencil drawings that show the ingredients required. You’ll also need a love of cooking and crafting, some talent, patience and, of course, lots of time.

Saylers gave Wired.com a step-by-step instructional video (embedded above) showing how to prepare charaben. Watch it and try your hand at this amazing Japanese tradition.

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