I was so sad to hear that my favorite bento box provider Ichiban Kan (a Japanese dollar store in San Francisco) was shutting down its online operation. I bought many dozens of bento boxes and accessories from them and got the greatest prices ever too. Previously I had been paying high prices directly from Japan to soothe my bento madness. Ichiban Kan changed all that – I got the same great products but at low prices.

I suppose in the end it is not that sad for me since I had everything they offered anyway but still I liked knowing that they were there. I felt reassured. I used to go to the store when I lived in Japantown in San Francisco and I loved it though at the time I didn’t really know what a bento box was.

Now years deep into my bento-love I feel kind of like I lost a really good friend.

There are other cool places to purchase bento boxes and supplies but none with prices as good. I will post later about some of the bento places online where I have gotten kawaii bento goodies from.

For now though, I say goodbye to Ichiban Kan (the store will stay open in San Francisco and they are opening another retail outlet too) online and remember it fondly.

Just a few of the kawaii bento boxes I got there.