Editing Flag of Japan (section)

==={{transliteration|ja|Hinomaru bentō}}===
[[File:Hinomaru_bento_20141027.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|A {{transliteration|ja|Hinomaru bentō}}]]

{{transliteration|ja|[[Bentō]]}} and {{transliteration|ja|[[makunouchi]]}} are types of Japanese lunch boxes, which can feature {{nihongo|{{transliteration|ja|Hinomaru}} rice|日の丸ご飯|Hinomaru gohan}}. The {{transliteration|ja|Hinomaru bentō}} consists of [[List of Japanese dishes#Rice dishes (ご飯物)|{{transliteration|ja|gohan}}]] (steamed white rice) with a red {{transliteration|ja|[[umeboshi]]}} (dried [[plum]]) in the center which represents the sun and the flag of Japan. A {{nihongo|{{transliteration|ja|Hinomaru}} lunch box|日の丸弁当|Hinomaru bentō}} only has white rice and a red {{transliteration|ja|umeboshi}} in the center. The salty, vinegar-soaked {{transliteration|ja|umeboshi}} acts as a preservative for the rice. There are also {{transliteration|ja|Hinomaru}} rice bowls, which are less common.<ref name="hinomaru-bento">{{cite news|url=https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/hinomaru-bento |title=Japan's Patriotic Bento Box (Hinomaru) |last=Spacey |first=John |date=24 January 2014 |work=Japan Talk |access-date= 24 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807084650/https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/hinomaru-bento |archive-date= 7 August 2017 }}</ref>