Dried bamboo husks are known to have sterilization property, so in the past it was an indispensable material for packing food items which were to be carried around for a relatively long time. I remember my mother often packed onigiri rice balls and pickled vegetables in the dried bamboo husks for my school excursions or for our picnics. While I was travelling from Tokyo to Fukuoka city in Kyushu, the southern main island of
Japan, I purchased an ekiben (a bento lunch box sold at train stations – eki – for long distance passengers; there are hundreds of local specialty varieties at stations all across Japan – many are nationally famous) packed in this nostaltgic box made of dried bamboo husks. I could not help but purchased it. I have not seen such a thing in many, many years.
