Inside Chiba Station, Manyoken is a piece of edible history.

The name of bento boxed lunch shop Manyoken translates loosely as “House of 10,000 Leaves.” That count isn’t necessarily meant to be taken literally, though. Yes, in Japanese man does mean 10,000, but in non-scientific contexts it can also be used just to mean “many.”

Really, the impressive number for Manyoken is 98, as in the 98 years the company has been in business since its original founding in 1928. You don’t stay in the bento game that long without winning over a lot of fans, and so when field work recently had our ace reporter Mr. Sato out in the vicinity of Manyoken’s one and only branch at Chiba Station, he decided to stop by and try one of their boxed lunches for himself.

Finding the place turned out to be a little tricky. Manyoken’s address indicates that it’s on the third floor of the Perie Chiba shopping center, which is attached to Chiba Station (itself about 40 minutes by train east of Tokyo Station). However, even after wandering all around the third floor, Mr. Sato couldn’t spot the place. After some more digging, he found out that Manyoken is actually located inside the Chiba Station ticket gates. The easiest way to get to the shop is to go through the Chuo/Central Gate, and after walking straight for a bit, you should be able to see Manyoken’s sign, with its name written with the kanji characters 万葉軒.

Manyoken has a few different bento varieties, but Mr. Sato wasted no time in grabbing one of their Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) Bento, for 782 yen (US$5). The Tonkatsu Bento is Manyoken’s flagship boxed lunch, the one that’s earned the place generations of loyal fans, and remains the purest Manyoken experience.

▼ The Tonkatsu Bento

Yes, the packaging does do that surreal thing where the cooking is being done by an anthropomorphized character that is itself the source of the marque ingredient. The illustration might not match the modern cuteness of contemporary kawaii design cues, but its older-school vibes are completely in keeping with a bento shop that’s been around for almost 100 years.

Speaking of classic aesthetics, the Tonkatsu Bento goes with a very simple presentation, with a single compartment on which the cutlet is laid out directly over the white rice, like a ruler relaxing luxuriously on a chaise lounge.

For a second, Mr. Sato thought that the boxed lunch was completely devoid of vegetables, but it turns out they’re simply tucked underneath one end of the cutlet. Lifting up the corner of the katsu, he found pickled eggplant, bamboo shoots, and simmered kombu (kelp).

Seeing the cutlet in cross section might have some foodies bracing for disappointment, as the pork is thinly sliced. This higher ratio of breading to meat actually ends up having its own unique charm, though.

The tonkatsu sauce that Manyoken includes in its bento is fantastic, and with more breading for it to soak into, every bite is extra delicious, so make sure to pour on every last drop from the bottle.

All in all, this is a classic and extremely satisfying style of tonkatsu bento, Mr. Sato says, delivering not just tasty flavors but also a dose of comforting nostalgia, and he highly recommends making one a meal when you’re in Chiba. Especially in a tough economic time, he’s glad to see Manyoken still doing what it does best, and we’re looking forward to when the shop can change its chopstick wrappers, which currently say “Founded over 90 years ago” (創業九十余年)…

…to “Founded over 100 years ago.”

Shop information
Manyoken / 万葉軒
Address: Chiba-ken, Chiba-shi, Chuo-ku, Shin Chiba 1-1-1, Perie Chiba Ekinaka 3rd floor
Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. (weekdays), 7 a.m.-8 p.m. (weekends, holidays)
Website

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