
There are many things that need to be prepared for a shoot, such as arranging filming equipment, booking accommodation and purchasing transportation tickets, but there is one more important task that can make or break the success of a shoot. That is arranging food. For smaller scales such as documentaries or news reports, you may be able to buy your own food at a restaurant or convenience store in town, but for larger productions such as dramas or commercials, you will need to arrange for a catering service. In Japanese jargon, these are called location bento. The quality of these location bento can make a big difference to the tension of the film crew. It is said that the quality of the location bento is said to lower the motivation of the film crew in particular. Anyway, choosing a good location bento is a test of a production company's skill. In this article, we would like to introduce some recommended location bento providers that can be arranged and deliver for you in Tokyo, divided into several themes.
- Classic Location Bentos
- Breakfast Location Bentos
- Vegetarian & Vegan Location bentos
In this article classical location bentos are presented.
Tsutaya (津多屋)

Established in 1972, Tsutaya has a long history and is one of Japan's leading location bento providers. If you want to order a typical Japanese bento, this is the place to go. Under the slogan of ‘cherish the taste’, they are particular about their ingredients, scrutinise their procurement, carefully prepare their products and focus on handmade products. Other bento providers only serve the same bento once, but at Tsutaya, even if it's the same nori bento every week, there are always two or three different side dishes, or rice cooked with seasonal ingredients, and a wide variety of other dishes.
Recommended Bentos
2-tier Seawead Makunouchi Bento (1,296 JPY)
2-colour Soboro Makunouchi Bento (1,296 JPY)
Ginger Pork Makunouchi Bento (1,296 JPY)
Tsutaya's information
HP
https://www.tutaben10.com/
Tel
+81 120 663 639
Delivery areas: Tokyo 23 wards and suburbs of Nerima Ward
Quantities: 40 or more meals
Working hour 11:00~17:30
Tsukada Nojo (塚田農場)

Tsukada Nojo originally opened shops all over Tokyo as izakaya (Japanese style pubs), but around 10 years ago it began catering to TV stations and others with large quantities of bentos. Tsukada Farm quickly became one of the favourite location bento of people working on location, winning the ‘Location Bento Grand Prix’. The characteristic feature of the bento is that it is made up of hearty bento such as chicken nanban (Coated Fried Chicken is marinated in a sweet vinegar soy sauce) and hamburgers, which are much appreciated on filming locations where a lot of physical labour is required. Many productions have told us that the lunchboxes have a good balance between taste and cost, and that all the dishes taste good even when cold, making them a safe choice for both performers and crew.
Recommended Bentos
Chiken Nanban Bento (900 JPY)
Black Beef Hamburger bento (1,100 JPY)
Authentic Charcoal-grilled Chicken Yakitori Bento (930 JPY)
Tsukada Nojo's information
HP
https://www.tsukada-plus.jp/
Tel
+81 120 160 990
Until 6pm (5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) two days in advance
Jojoen (叙々苑)

Jojoen is a well-known high-end and bitter meat chain restaurant in Japan, and the location bentos it makes are also very popular. Although the prices are a little high, it is recommended to order them for special shooting, as they can greatly motivate the scene. Just like the one served in the restaurant, the yakiniku bento at Jojoen are made from the highest quality meat, carefully selected by their expert butchers, and carefully selected brand-name rice from all over Japan.
Recommended Bentos
Galbi Bento (3,400 JPY)
Galbi & Tongue Bento (3,600 JPY)
Beef Kiriotoshi Bento (3,000 JPY)
Jojoen's Information
HP
https://www.jojoen-bento.com/
The ‘minimum order’ amount differs depending on the delivery area.
Order deadline:
2 working days (by 15:00) before the delivery date.
This post has introduced the classic location bento suppliers. Please contact CueRio for assistance with your filming in Japan, including ordering location bento. In the next and subsequent posts, we will introduce recommended suppliers for breakfast bento, Vegetarian & Vigan bento.