Aside from telling me I’m my mother’s most beautiful daughter (her only daughter), my mother tells me she loves me often. Looking at these Japanese bento box art scans from “Waku Waku Kyaracuta No Obentou” (Exciting Character Bentos), I find this hard to believe. How can you tell your own daughter you love her, knowing full well that you sent her off to private school in the early 90s with Lunchables for lunch almost daily?

Don’t even get me started on the sodium content of those lunches for the lazy. Lazy is the last thing that comes to mind when one thinks bento box. Cute yes, but actually, it’s art. Could you eat works of art without feeling guilty? I hope you say no.

Should this inspire you in any way to make your own cute bento box, I point you in the direction of Lunchinabox.net — tons of great bento box tutorials and tips!

You wouldn't eat us, we're having the time of our lives on a bed of veggies!

Don't eat me. I'm Miffy the bunny. You love me, remember?

If you ate me, Hayao Miyazaki would be very upset.