On August 21, food maker Fujicco’s official X account posted a handmade bento recreating the lunch Satsuki packed in the movie My Neighbor Totoro. Since the “Simmered Sardines” and “Uguisu Beans” used were actual products from the company’s own lineup, reactions poured in on 5channel over the true identity of the pink sakura denbu topping and people’s taste preferences.
2026-08-24 13:30
On the 21st, Fujicco’s official X account (@fujicco_jp) posted a handmade bento with the caption, “Take a look at the effort put in by someone on our team!” Responses poured in, including “That’s Satsuki’s bento from Totoro!” and “The recreation is perfect.”
The post showed a bento of white rice topped with simmered sardines, pickled plum, sakura denbu (sweet pink fish flakes), and uguisu beans. Notably, the “Simmered Sardines” and “Uguisu Beans” are both real products Fujicco actually sells, giving the dish a familiar, “I’ve seen this before” touch by featuring the company’s own products.
Source: oricon.co.jp / Original article here
???
Which prefecture are you from?
Cod?? No way, seriously?
You don't know what sakura denbu is?
How to make sakura denbu:
1. First, color a notebook page solid pink with a highlighter.
2. Once the colored page dries, erase it so the eraser shavings turn pink.
3. Mince the pink shavings finely with a ruler.
4. Done! 🤗
Isn't that just sold ready-made in stores?
The faint salty fish flavor behind the sweetness is exactly what makes it work as a rice topping.
Ghibli's food illustrations really are second to none, huh.
I'd get it if it were Nippon TV. (mixing up food maker Fujicco with the broadcaster Fuji TV)
That's a lot of pickled shallots.
I thought it was grapes, turns out it's beans.
It's such a basic, textbook bento arrangement — really likable.
Don't put sweet stuff on my rice.
Totally get it.
A little as an accent is fine, but it's too sweet and not salty enough — doesn't work as a side for rice, I think.
Would you really call sardines 'umani'?
There's ginger-simmered, plum-simmered, sansho-pepper-simmered, but either way this is just nitsuke (a fish simmer).
'Umani' feels like a term for simmering plain, mild ingredients in dashi (plus soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, etc).
You wouldn't use dashi to simmer sardines, would you?
The product's actual name is literally 'Simmered Sardines (Umani)'
https://www.fujicco.co.jp/products/detail/153.html
The artificial food coloring makes me dizzy just looking at it.
Shut up! I'll punch you!
A masterpiece that taught kids the feeling of righteous anger.
I think around Showa 27 (1952) red wieners were a luxury item.
Heard you could only eat them on special occasions like sports day or school trips.
Are we talking wartime here, senpai?
*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Fujicco’s Official X Hand-Makes Totoro’s Satsuki Bento, Sparks Buzz: ‘Spot-On Recreation’, ‘Looks Plain But Tasty’”.
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