<\/span><\/p>\n A little while back I profiled the trend of men and bento making, and it appears to be going strong with advocates receiving the new moniker \u201cBento Boys.\u201d <\/span>I was recently doing some copy editing of a market research report which discussed this topic, and though it would be interesting to share as a follow-up. <\/span>Previously I mentioned the <\/span>\u201cOyaji Bento<\/a><\/strong>\u201d blog<\/span>, and this report highlights a blog of a similar nature called \u201cKyo no Bento<\/a>.<\/strong>\u201d <\/span>Below is an excerpt from the report: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPreviously in Japan, frugality was a virtue but stinginess was not welcomed. Now the Japanese do not think someone is necessarily stingy when they are saving money in the process. There are increasing numbers of young, unmarried businessmen making their own lunches and bringing them to the office in bento boxes, and people call them \u201cBento Boys.\u201d It is <\/span>not only the economic downturn, but also a growing amount of young men who love cooking that has accelerated this phenomenon.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n According to survey results announced by Intage, Inc. on October 30, 2008, 36% of respondants bring homemade bento boxes. Many of them stopped going out to eat and switched to bento boxes about a year ago, and they cite \u201clunch\u201d as the cost that they have most reduced. Because of this boom bento boxes are selling well, some for as little as 250 yen. At Loft, a big variety store chain, sales of thermal lunch boxes have doubled and those of thermos bottles are 1.5 times greater than last year. Although shoppers are mainly women, the bestselling product is Zojirushi\u2019s thermal lunch box for men, Mr. Bento. <\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pro.corbis.com\/images\/42-17791866.jpg?size=572&uid={F516EFAD-5DCB-436B-B10C-D0C142873C85}\")
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good throwing out her trademark knuckleballs.