The Perfect Bento for Beating the Summer Heat in Japan! Hokka Hokka Tei’s “Summer Body Maintenance Meal”

Summer is finally here in full swing! While extreme heat is making headlines around the world, Japan has even coined the term “Kokushobi (cruelly hot day)” to describe days when the high temperature reaches 40° or higher, and summers are getting hotter every year.
To stay strong against the summer heat, it’s important to get proper nutrition from your daily meals.

In this article, we’ll introduce the newly released “Summer Body Maintenance Meals” from the Japanese bento chain “Hokka Hokka Tei.”

 

Hokka Hokka Tei’s 50th Anniversary

“Hokka Hokka Tei” is one of Japan’s leading bento chains, which opened its first store in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, in 1976 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
While bento boxes are becoming increasingly popular around the world as part of Japanese food culture, they were traditionally eaten cold.

Hokka Hokka Tei was the first to begin serving them as freshly made, warm, handmade bento boxes. The brand name “Hokka Hokka” is a Japanese onomatopoeia that evokes the image of steaming, fluffy, freshly cooked rice. It’s truly the perfect name for the pioneer of the takeout bento chain.

Hokka Hokka Tei Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary! A New Vision for the Future: “What Should We Make Next? Cook !dea”

Furthermore, Hokka Hokka Tei is also the originator of the “nori bento”—a bento featuring a layer of nori spread over rice, topped with side dishes. As the chain that has led the Japanese bento industry, Hokka Hokka Tei has prepared 50 fun and exciting initiatives as part of its 50th-anniversary project, and anticipation is building for future announcements.

 

Hokka Hokka Tei’s New Summer Menu Is Here!

True to the concept of “My Town’s Kitchen,” Hokka Hokka Tei has long been a staple at Japanese dining tables.
A new series called “Summer Body Maintenance Meals (Japanese reading:Natsu no Karada Mente Meshi),” born from the desire to help people cope with the intense summer heat through their daily meals, went on sale on July 1, 2026.

Press Conference for the New Series “Summer Body Maintenance Meals”

This is a new series developed in collaboration with ReLIFE-MAINTENANCE HOLDINGS Co.,Ltd., a company specializing in infrastructure maintenance. These boxed lunches, supervised by a registered dietitian, are designed to support summer nutrition. During menu development, feedback from the skilled workers on the front lines—who maintain infrastructure even in the intense summer heat—was incorporated, resulting in nutritionally balanced meals that help support their health through proper nutrition.

 

Tasting the food at the tasting event

This time, Kodawari Times attended a preview tasting event held at Hokka Hokka Tei’s Osaka headquarters.
We had the chance to try the “Summer Body Maintenance Meals” firsthand, so we’ll be introducing the new menu in detail along with our report.
There are two options available—a bento box and udon—so please choose the one that suits your taste.

Stamina Nikumori Yasaiitame Bento (right), Stamina Tempra Hiyashi Ume Oroshi Udon (left)

Stamina Nikumori Yasaiitame Bento (890 yen, tax included)

Yasaiitame (Stir-fried vegetables) are a staple of Japanese home cooking. The “Stamina Nikumori Yasaiitame Bento (Stamina Meat-Topped Stir-Fried Vegetable Bento),” packed with the nutrients you need this summer, features Hokkatei’s signature freshly cooked rice and provides half of your daily recommended vegetable intake.

Take a bite, and you’ll find the rich seasoning—a perfect blend of the savory umami of pork and the satisfying texture of the vegetables—makes the rice go down a treat. It’s packed with colorful vegetables like cabbage, eggplant, carrots, and bell peppers, making for a truly satisfying meal.

Another highlight is the generous portion of pork—a great source of vitamin B1. Toppings like pickled plums and mentaiko (spicy cod roe) let you enjoy a change of flavor while replenishing your salt intake.

Stamina Tempra Hiyashi Ume Oroshi Udon (690 yen, tax included)

Udon, a Japanese national dish, is also extremely popular as a bento lunch. Cold udon is an easy-to-eat option, even when the summer heat has sapped your appetite. With luxurious toppings like vegetable kakiage, burdock root tempura, sausage tempura, chopped okra, grated daikon radish, and umeboshi, you can get a solid dose of nutrients.

The crispy tempura pairs perfectly with the udon. Adding grated daikon radish gives it a refreshing taste and makes it even easier to eat. The tartness of the umeboshi adds a nice accent and stimulates your appetite.
Since the bento is packed with tempura, it comes with two packets of udon broth. This ensures the broth stays flavorful until the very last bite, allowing you to enjoy the meal while also replenishing your salt intake.

Win a Gift of inaba Rich Salted Mixed Nuts

As part of our “Summer Body Maintenance Meals” campaign, with every purchase of one eligible item, you’ll receive a free bag of Inaba Peanuts Co., Ltd.’s “inaba Rich Salted Mixed Nuts.”
This mix of four types of nuts features a bold, rich salt flavor, making it an easy way to replenish your sodium. It’s also the perfect snack to pair with beer, highballs, and other alcoholic drinks. Be sure to purchase your Summer Body Maintenance Meals and grab a bag of Rich Salted Mixed Nuts!
[Campaign Period] July 16–While supplies last *Excludes delivery agency services

Summer Body Maintenance Meals Special Site: https://relife-m.co.jp/special/bento/

 

A Hit at the Expo2025! One-Hand BENTO

Speaking of Hokka Hokka Tei, the chain operated a “One-Hand BENTO” booth at the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion during the Osaka-Kansai Expo held in 2025. As the name suggests, it’s a new-concept bento that’s compact yet packed with plenty of food—allowing you to enjoy the main dish and side dishes with just one hand.

A permanent store for this hugely popular item—which sold 220,000 meals at the Expo—opened at the Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store on April 29, 2026.

The side dishes include all the bento staples: Wagyu beef kinpira, root vegetable kinpira, kakiage, chicken nanban, fried shrimp, and nori bento (with cod tempura). Another great feature is that the rice is made with a blend of sixteen grains, making it a healthy choice.

This time, I had the opportunity to sample their new product, eggplant miso. The juiciness of the eggplant and the sweet-and-spicy flavor of the meat miso were perfectly balanced, creating a taste that really captures the essence of summer.

This new style of bento, designed to be enjoyed with just one hand, is appealing because you can eat it quickly even when you don’t have time for a meal, while still getting plenty of nutrition. It’s highly recommended for busy tourists, so be sure to check out the One-Hand BENTO.

[Store Information]
Store Name: One-Hand BENTO by Hokka Hokka-tei
Location: Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store, Wing Building, 2nd Floor, Prepared Foods Section
Address: 1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8545
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. *Closed on the same days as the department store
Access: “Tennoji” Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji and Tanimachi Lines
“Tennoji” Station on the JR Line
“Osaka Abenobashi” Station on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line
“Tennoji-Ekimae” Station on the Hankai Electric Railway Kamimachi Line
Official Website: https://www.hokkahokka-tei.jp/onehand

 

Let’s eat a bento at Hokka Hokka Tei

“Hokka Hokka Tei” operates more than 700 locations across Japan. It’s a bento chain well-known to Japanese people, where you can easily enjoy a warm, delicious bento anytime, anywhere. Whether you eat it in a park or take it back to your hotel, the appeal of bento lies in the convenience of enjoying a meal on the go.

The “Summer Body Maintenance Meals” featured here are a series we highly recommend to tourists visiting Japan during the hot summer months. Make sure to refuel with plenty of nutrients so you can enjoy sightseeing in Japan while feeling energized. In addition to this new series, Hokka Hokka Tei offers a wide variety of menu items, so if you’d like to experience Japan’s bento culture, be sure to stop by your nearest location.

Official Website: https://www.hokkahokka-tei.jp/

English and Chinese Menus
Western Japan: https://www.hokkahokka-tei.jp/menu/emenu_w
Eastern Japan: https://www.hokkahokka-tei.jp/menu/emenu_e
Kyushu: https://www.hokkahokka-tei.jp/menu/emenu_s