Packing a child's lunch in Japan can take more than an hour, since moms create bento lunches that take lunch ingredients and transform them into cute characters. Ham and rice can be made into Pokemon, cute animals, or famous people. It's called character bento, or kyaraben, and there's a lot of pressure to produce these food creations. In Japan, women are highly educated, but about 70 percent quit working after having children. Thus a lot of talent and creative energy is sometimes going into creating competitively cute lunches. Listen to hear more about the lunch making culture in Japan.
Story Length: 4:03
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AIR DATE: 07/24/2016
August 23, 2016
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A Japanese emperor hasn't voluntarily stepped away from the throne in nearly 200 years. In a televised speech, the current Japanese leader, Emperor Akihito, hinted that he may step down. He talked about his failing health and his difficulty in keeping up with his duties. Changing the Japanese law would be a break from tradition, as Japan has the world's longest-running hereditary monarchy: 2,600 years. Listen to hear more about the Japanese monarchy and tradition.
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