Tenmusu is sometimes included in what kind of Japanese lunch boxes?

Tenmusu is sometimes included in Japanese bento boxes as a compact rice-and-tempura meal.

Tenmusu combines a rice ball with a filling of deep-fried tempura shrimp and a wrapping of nori. Its name blends “ten,” from tempura, with “musu,” a shortened form associated with onigiri. The result is a portable food that fits naturally into a boxed lunch.

The dish originated in the Mie Prefecture region and is now strongly associated with Nagoya cuisine in central Japan. Although it is often sold as a snack or takeaway item on its own, it can also appear among the foods packed in bento boxes.

Bento is broader than a particular container style: it means a single-portion Japanese meal, commonly arranged with rice, a main protein, and side dishes. “Obento” is simply another form of the Japanese word for bento, while jubako refers more specifically to a tiered box used for some meals and celebrations.