I went to the Japan-America Society’s annual O-tsukimi festival this year. Since I am a member, the cost was only $20 for entry into the National Arboretum after hours, sake tastings, calligraphy, koto music, obon dancing, raffles, and daifuku. There was an option to purchase bento through JASW (which I found out was done by Tako Grill), but the prices were steep! ($20 per person for members)

Since we were probably going to go out after o-tsukimi, I packed a light bento of four inari-zushi. Each inari is seasoned differently. From left to right: yuzu kosho and homemade carrot-sesame furikake; salted ume paste with homemade radish-bonito furikake; sriracha; roasted red pepper hummus. I also tucked two little Anpanman chocolates into the bento.

It was nice and brisk outside, warmer than I initially thought it was going to be. I had thought the festival (Oct 3rd) was going to be much cooler, so I didn’t wear my yukata. I enjoyed touring the bonzai gardens, but didn’t see anything that would cause me to drive all the way out to Anacostia again. The pillars featured below were removed from the Capital building’s East side when the recent expansion was done.

My boyfriend made dinner last night and I convinced him to make some extra so I could pack it for lunch (see my sneakiness?). He packed it in the bento box I originally got him. Later in the night I took it out of the fridge and smushed the pasta over some to make room for half of a custard bun, some raisins and an Anpanman chocolate! The Anpanman character is actually Baikinman (ばいきんまん) which means “bacteria man”. The chocolate came with a trivia question too:

アンパンマンクイズ
Anpanman Quiz

ジャムおじさんがつくった メロンパンで できてるこだあれ?
Who is the girl Uncle Jam created out of the melon bread he made?

(こたえ)
Answer

メロンパンナちゃん
Melon Panna-chan

The pasta is rainbow bowties that I picked up on sale from World Market. The Italian word for it is faralle arcobaleno. The sauce is just jarred tomato sauce from Whole Foods with added basil and some jalapeno chicken sausage. The basil is homegrown by the way~ (not my house–my boyfriend’s mom’s). I wrapped everything up in a Totoro handkerchief that I bought from the loveghibli store. Surprisingly, the handkerchief is two centimeters larger than my furoshiki that I also ordered from there.