精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう)

しょうじんべんとう
noun
vegetarian lunch box; Buddhist-style bento
food
1. vegetarian lunch box; Buddhist-style bento
A boxed meal prepared entirely from plant-based ingredients following the principles of shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), without meat, fish, or strong-smelling vegetables like garlic and onion.
お寺(てら)で精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう)をいただいた。
I had a vegetarian bento at the temple.
駅弁(えきべん)の中(なか)にも精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう)がある。
There are vegetarian bentos among the station box lunches too.
彩(いろど)り豊(ゆた)かな精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう)は、野菜(やさい)だけとは思(おも)えないほど満足感(まんぞくかん)がある。
A colorful vegetarian bento is so satisfying you wouldn't believe it's made entirely from vegetables.

Compound of 精進(しょうじん) (Buddhist devotion; abstinence from meat) and 弁当(べんとう) (boxed meal). This is the bento version of 精進料理(しょうじんりょうり) (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), a culinary tradition with roots in Zen Buddhism that has become popular beyond religious contexts.

Common collocations

  • 精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう)を予約(よやく)する: to reserve a vegetarian bento
  • 季節(きせつ)の精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう): seasonal vegetarian bento
  • 精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう)付(つ)き拝観(はいかん): temple visit with a vegetarian bento included

Cultural note

Many famous temples in Kyoto and Kamakura offer 精進弁当(しょうじんべんとう) to visitors. Unlike Western vegetarian food, traditional 精進(しょうじん) cooking also avoids the five pungent roots (五葷(ごくん): garlic, onion, leek, chive, and rakkyo). The meals typically feature seasonal vegetables, tofu, and seaweed.

Related words

Related Words

Related: 精進料理(しょうじんりょうり) (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine)
Related: 駅弁(えきべん) (station bento, sold at train stations)
Related: 幕(まく)の内(うち)弁当(べんとう) (makunouchi bento, a traditional…)
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Added 2026.4.21 23:24 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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