When we think about takeout lunches in Japan, we must go back a long way. Surely you have seen in museums the beautiful lacquer lunch boxes the nobility used when they went to the countryside on excursions. These picnics were quite elegant occasions with poetry writing and incense ceremonies. But long before that, probably before the 800s, there were special foods for travelers. Those who feel we are quite advanced today because of the development of instant foods should be aware of "hoshi-ii," an early instant rice. It was dried and, like today, reconstituted by adding water.

"Nigiri-meshi" and "omusubi," both words for rice balls, were known in ancient times. The characters that make up these words mean "gathered" or "pressed together." The rice was often wrapped in bamboo leaves, which we know today have antibacterial qualities. Then there was "tonjiki," usually triangular-shaped rice balls that were prepared in advance for expected visitors, a predecessor of today's "obento" lunches that you see laid out on tables at tourist bus stops waiting for the next load of travelers to arrive. Omusubi were supposedly eaten by women who worked professionally for the government. This indicates that there were other careers for women in addition to marriage and service to some nobleman.

These are the roots of today's bento, or pre-prepared foods for takeout. The word means "distribution." It is said to have been used for the first time in this context by Oda Nobinaga (1534-1582), who had single servings of food put in a simple box for distribution to a large group of people. By Edo times, bento were common and there were many styles of boxes. The simplest ones were made of woven twigs from a willow tree. The utilitarian aluminum lunch box, much like what can be found today, was introduced in Meiji times. Now takeout foods are one of Japan's biggest businesses, and often the throw-away containers are made to suggest old-style boxes of lacquer or bamboo.

Finally, we have reached our subject of the day: making school lunches. The good news is that many schools now serve lunches and the competition among mothers to make the cutest lunch is now mostly restricted to nursery and kindergarten. A foreign woman married to a Japanese wonders how she can learn to make a proper lunch for her 4-year-old, one that will be as attractive as, but not too much more so than, those of his friends.

For starters, she should be aware of the seasons and their special foods, and include them. Color, too, is important. Most lunch boxes will have something white, pink and yellow, most often rice, ham and egg yolk, usually used in decorating. Fish is not commonly used because it, well, smells, but "kamaboko," pressed fish cake, is OK. Ideally there should be something from the sea ("nori," or seaweed), the fields (vegetables) and the mountains (that's tricky). The lunch must be nutritious as well as attractive, and the box itself must follow current trends.

She could start at a bookstore. There are many lavishly illustrated publications in Japanese on sure-to-win lunches. I don't think I could face all that cuteness in the morning -- Hello Kitty cutouts in nori, octopus hotdogs, bunny croquettes and laughing hamburgers with fun toys tucked in the corner. I confess, with twinges of guilt, that my kids generally had frozen sandwiches, fruit and cookies. I'd make a lot of them in advance, and by the time they thawed it was time for lunch. Of course, they were occasionally brightened by specialties from various local buffet tables.

But what she really needs is what she can easily get -- a course in children's bento making, including proper presentation. Elizabeth Ando, our guide to Japanese foods and what to do with them, has a special course in this essential art. She saved a place in the next class for this reader, but the rest of you will have to wait until fall. Ask to be put on her mailing list and learn all about Japanese foods, including sea vegetables, "miso," fish, and even how to sharpen knives. Call her at (03) 5716-5751 or e-mail [email protected].

After writing this, I saw a TV program on preparing school lunch boxes. They were making jelly sandwiches. Maybe next year they will add the peanut butter.