First visit in 202002 (No.1635) I had been working in the main store of this shop in Kameido for about 10 years, but for some reason I never had the chance to visit! Since the shop was selling items tailored for exam-takers at the time, I decided to purchase them in hopes of improving my luck (lol). I bought the "Victory Luck Manju" for 160 yen. The shop mainly sells bento boxes, with these items being sold as side products. The product had a shelf life of two days, and it consisted of a sweet red bean paste made with beet sugar and a Kameido Daikon mochi shaped like a white star of victory. The taste was quite ordinary, but it is considered a good luck charm, so I gratefully enjoyed it (lol). Thank you for the meal.

Kameido Masumoto @ Ginza Mitsukoshi is a bento specialty store. I had the Hinamatsuri bento, which had a spring-like colorful presentation with auspicious ingredients. The Mebaru (rockfish) steamed with cherry leaves was surprising as the Mebaru looked like sakura mochi. The meat-wrapped bamboo shoots in teriyaki sauce was packed with meat and the bamboo shoots had a nice crunch. The Chinese jellyfish was a good accent. The fried blowfish and taro were delicious with a tasty sauce. The rolled omelette and chicken meatballs were large and satisfying. I tried the Kame Spicy Koji with various ingredients, which was tasty. The rice options were red rice and sea bream rice, both very festive! The sakura mochi and black bean kinako dessert were also delicious!

I kept the flyer for the special bento box "Chojufukufuku Bento" for Respect for the Aged Day and visited on the first day in the evening, only to find out they were sold out. On the second day, I visited in the morning and was told they would be restocked around 2:30 pm. On the third day, I visited before 2 pm and found freshly made bento boxes available. I didn't hesitate and got one. There were still about 10 left. The bento box was 13 centimeters square and had two layers filled with various dishes like large rolled omelette, sweet chicken meatballs, small saury simmered in ginger, grilled flounder, simmered root vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, crab sauce, grilled chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, eggplant with sweet miso, roast duck, wood ear mushrooms, jellyfish, simmered oysters, chrysanthemum radish, red rice, and matsutake mushroom rice. I enjoyed everything except for the sweet potato yokan.

I didn't feel like cooking or had much of an appetite for dinner alone, so I decided to buy something delicious on my way home. I headed to the deli section at Mitsukoshi and found the Katori Bento from Kameido Masumoto. It was priced around 1,100 yen and seemed like a good deal based on the variety of dishes included. I brought it home and had it for dinner. Each dish in the bento was clearly handcrafted and made with care. The famous Kameido daikon was also included. Perhaps because it's a traditional downtown area, the flavors seemed a bit strong. It was a perfect bento to enjoy with some drinks.

I bought this as a light snack. Instead of the regular traditional Japanese cuisine bento from Kameido Masuhon, I opted for something a little different. When I eat out a lot, I start craving simple dishes. This is from a series called "Washo Shoku," which is a macrobiotic bento. The menu includes: seaweed and leek salad, soybean nuggets and corn simmered in a tasty sauce, vegetable shumai with tomato sauce, miso-fried eggplant, onion with walnut sauce, alternative fried tofu, daikon rice cake, simmered kelp, pickled plum, vegetable stew, black and brown rice, pumpkin brown rice, fermented spicy koji, and pickled daikon. Macrobiotic cuisine is a plant-based alternative to animal products, and the flavors are not always easy to discern just by looking at the dishes, so having a menu is helpful. The flavors are healthy-tasting (lol) as expected from macrobiotic food, which tends to use salt for seasoning. The brown rice was cooked to a nice texture and easy to eat. I enjoyed the pickled daikon, and overall, this was a satisfying bento. The fact that the restaurant offers both a proper macrobiotic bento and a regular traditional bento, with a note saying "some people may not find this to their liking, we also have a regular bento available," shows their honesty and consideration, which I appreciate.

A bento shop located in the basement of Ginza Mitsukoshi. Originally a sake shop in Kameido. Specializes in Kameido daikon and clams. It serves traditional Edo cuisine with a history of over 100 years. The bento boxes here are not as colorful as those in Kyoto, but rather have a somewhat dark and gloomy appearance typical of Edo cuisine. The seasoning tends to be either salty or overly sweet, sometimes both. Well, that's a matter of personal preference. I know someone who loves the bento boxes here, and they are a fan of intense flavors. They are the type of person who pours soy sauce generously over everything. For such people, the bento boxes here are top-notch.

In April of Heisei 27, I purchased a full-size Sumida River (asari clam) bento for 1326 yen. You can choose between asari clam mixed rice and bean rice, and I chose the asari clam mixed rice. The bento includes two pieces of pickled Kameido daikon on top of the rice. In the top left corner, there are grilled items such as rolled omelette, marinated flounder, duck roast, scallop, lion's head pepper, and simmered wood ear mushrooms. In the top right corner, there are simmered items like taro, carrots, konjac, lotus root, fu, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, asari clam dumplings, chicken meatballs, and jellyfish. Although one of the clams had insufficient sand removal, overall it was satisfying in terms of taste. Considering the variety of items included for the price, the cost performance is acceptable at 3.3 out of 5. From the various bento options available on the 2nd floor of Ginza Mitsukoshi, I purchased the Mini Sumida River bento for 830 yen as a convenient option to enjoy with side dishes from other stores. It is a suitable portion for those with a small appetite or when not very hungry. I personally enjoy combining it with side dishes from other stores to experience a variety of flavors. The bento includes asari clam ginger rice, simmered items (carrots, shiitake mushrooms, koya tofu), rolled omelette, savory simmered shrimp, chicken meatballs, simmered asari clams and konjac, Chinese jellyfish vinegar, marinated scallop, simmered wood ear mushrooms, and lotus root tempura. While the portion size is small, it offers a good variety of flavors to enjoy.

I had the Sumidagawa seasonal bento box for 1,328 yen. It came in a hexagonal container with four cups of rice. The flavors are not overpowering, so take your time to savor each bite. The ingredients are well-prepared and the bento box is of high quality. The main restaurant is located near Kameido Station, just north of Meiji Street and right off Kuramaebashi Street (opposite direction of Kameido Tenjin), along the street. They specialize in dishes using Kameido daikon and clam hot pot. This shop sells bento boxes and is located in a corner of the bento section on the 2nd floor of Ginza Mitsukoshi.

Personally, I love "wa" (Japanese-style) bento boxes. When I travel far, I usually opt for Japanese food bento boxes on the train. For some reason, I have convinced myself that "wa" is the way to go when on the move, looking back, whether on the Shinkansen or local train, it was always Japanese bento boxes or side dishes. This bento box comes with clam rice and simmered vegetables, exuding a nostalgic Edo vibe. This time, I bought it not for travel but for home use, as a meal to soothe my stomach tired of daily curry. I thought the rice portion was a bit too much though. By the way, there is also a version called "less rice, more side dishes," where the rice portion is white rice instead of clam rice. Therefore, this time I intentionally chose the version with more rice and clam rice. If you want to reduce carbohydrates, the version with less rice might be better.

I had the February monthly bento box "Kazuki" from the Kappo Bento. According to their website, the ingredients included: Kinome (Japanese pepper leaf) tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), saury with fragrant seasoning, chicken tsukune (meatballs), pickled daikon radish, clams, Chinese jellyfish, shishito peppers, bell peppers, pickled vegetable stew with plum, konnyaku (devil's tongue), lotus root, carrot, dried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, green beans, rice with sea bream, and pickled radish with chili. The sea bream rice had two Tsukushi (horsetail) on top. It feels like spring with those! The pickled daikon radish had lots of white sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The round chicken tsukune balls were big and satisfying to eat, with just the right seasoning and low salt content. The saury was delicious too. The small, soft umeboshi (pickled plum) had a whitish surface. I would definitely want to have this again. Thank you for the meal.

On a Monday night during a national holiday, while wandering around the B2F of Ginza Mitsukoshi, I came across a quite Japanese-style bento shop called "Kameido Masumoto". So, I decided to get some bento for dinner. There were quite a few special-looking bentos lined up at the storefront. Even though it was still early evening, it seemed like more bentos were sold out. It must be a popular shop. This time, I chose the "Sumida River" bento (1290 yen). Back at home, I heated it up and opened the lid to find "Kame Spicy Soy Sauce" in the middle. It had a sake-like taste, quite salty. It went well with various side dishes. I first tried the clam-cooked rice, which was flavorful and delicious. Overall, the bento had a pure Japanese taste. Closing my eyes while savoring the flavors, I could almost imagine the scenery of the Sumida River, although I haven't been there. I look forward to visiting again soon to try out more bentos.

On a regular evening, my wife and I decided to buy some bento and eat at home, so we went to Mitsukoshi in Ginza. We had never heard of "Masumoto Kameido" before, but we ended up purchasing their Katori bento (1,101 yen). When we got home, we were impressed by the quality of the bento for the price. One of their specialties is the "Kame Kara Shoyu," which turned out to be extremely spicy! Despite that, the bento itself was delicious with a traditional Japanese flavor. We both enjoyed it and would definitely consider going back in the future.

On January 8, 2012, I had roast beef for lunch at Ginza Kamakurayama and visited David Myers Cafe, as already reviewed. For dinner at Ginza Mitsukoshi, we decided to get bento boxes, and we bought bento boxes from Kameido Masumoto, known for their "Washo Shoku" macrobiotic bento. These bento boxes are meticulously prepared vegetarian meals, as you can see in the photos. I remember buying bento boxes from this place at Shinjuku Isetan right after the Fukutoshin Subway Line opened. At that time, only Shinjuku Isetan had them, but now it seems they have expanded to include Ginza Mitsukoshi as well. My wife got the "Suko Yakka" bento for 945 yen, and I got the "Nagomi" bento for 1155 yen. There were other options, including the "Irodori" bento for 1260 yen, which required reservations. The presentation was quite beautiful. Although it may look like there are meat-based dishes, all the ingredients are plant-based and do not include any meat or fish. Both bentos came with moromi soy sauce for seasoning. I tried them, and they were perfect after having soft roast beef for lunch. The flavors were subtle, focusing on the taste of vegetables and grains. It was not heavy, and the brown rice provided a satisfying chewiness. As someone who prefers mild flavors, I found it just right with the moromi soy sauce. My wife, despite saying she was full, finished her bento. The seasoning was not salty, and some may find it lacking in saltiness. This may be due to the use of natural sea salt. It reminded me of Asagaya Birdland, which also had a mild seasoning using sea salt from Kochi. As you can tell from my comments, if you prefer convenience store bento boxes, it's best to avoid this one as it may not be flavorful enough for some, especially those who prefer meat or fish in their meals. We had eaten a lot of meat for lunch, so the balance worked for us. However, there may be people who appreciate this unique bento. The price may seem a bit high for a department store bento, but considering the level of dedication put into these bento boxes, they are worth it and represent the unique offerings you can find in department stores. We may try them again in the future. Thank you for the meal.

I stopped by the basement floor of Ginza Mitsukoshi on a regular night. Here, in addition to traditional Japanese and Western sweets, there are shops that sell bento boxes and side dishes, making it lively. It's smaller than the underground floor of Shinjuku Isetan. I prefer compact bento boxes so they don't get squished on the train. I bought the "Katori" bento for 1,178 yen, which is said to be popular among customers of a shop in Kameido known for its kabuki bento. I'm not a big fan of this type of bento, but I was curious and decided to try it. It contains chirashi sushi, simmered dishes, tamagoyaki, chicken, and more. The flavor is rich and quite delicious. It also includes a condiment called "Kame Spicy Miso," which is described as a mellow, spicy condiment made by fermenting green chili peppers with miso. I tried dipping it in the tamagoyaki, and it was quite spicy, which I personally didn't need. But I'm sure spicy food lovers will enjoy it. Thank you for the meal.

I usually don't buy bento boxes for lunch, but today I miscalculated and ended up watching a play with a growling stomach. I decided to look for something to bring with me and found a crowd at the bento section in Ginza Mitsukoshi basement, where I chose the "Katori" bento (around 1100 yen). I had it during the intermission and it was perfect for me with a variety of side dishes and rice mixed in, just the right amount for someone like me who doesn't need a lot of rice. It might not be enough for men though. The bento was well put together with all my favorite side dishes and the seasoning was just right, I really liked it. It had brown rice included and came with a special soy sauce, showing a unique touch compared to other shops. There were other types available as well, so I'll definitely check them out next time I visit Ginza Mitsukoshi!

I purchased this macrobiotic bento for watching Kabuki theater. I found it while wandering around the bento stalls. Macrobiotic bentos are quite rare, and they had about five different options available. The contents were typical macrobiotic fare like brown rice, soybeans, seaweed, and vegetables, but the variety of side dishes was quite extensive. Additionally, when you add the small container of spicy miso, it really adds a nice contrast of flavors. I already enjoy macrobiotic cuisine, so I really enjoyed this bento. However, I felt like the portion size was a bit small. I ended up eating a mini menchi katsu burger from another store that I had bought earlier to feel fully satisfied. I didn't purchase them, but I was also intrigued by the three different macrobiotic desserts they had available.

Matsumoto, famous for its Kameido daikon, also has a store in the basement of Ginza Mitsukoshi. I often go during the bargain time after 7 p.m., but they are often sold out by then. Even if I go before 6 p.m., the bento box I wanted for July, which just started today, was already sold out, so I bought the seasonal limited anago bento instead. It is free of preservatives and synthetic coloring. The pickled Kameido daikon and spicy pickles are classics. The side dishes include tamagoyaki, green peppers, eggplant, burdock, winter melon, dried tofu, carrots, daikon mochi, and Chinese jellyfish. The anago is placed on top of the kinshi tamago, and the rice is seasoned. It is my favorite bento box for takeout.

There are two types of bento boxes available - one with the usual salt concentration preferred in Edo-style cuisine, and the other with a slightly lighter salt concentration, leaning towards macrobiotic style. As someone who prefers a lighter taste, the bento boxes fall somewhere in between, leaning slightly towards macrobiotic style but still delicious. Overall, I would rate the meal as 4 out of 5, and the chopsticks were also good.