Makunouchi is a popular type of Japanese bento which consists of mostly rice along with fish, meat, pickles, eggs, vegetables, and an umeboshi . There are also other kinds of food such as a chestnut-rice, sweetfish sushi, and meat-and-rice-casserole forms.
The word makuno-uchi bentō ("between-act bento"), dates back to the Edo period (1603 to 1867), when they were sold to theatre-goers during the intermissions (幕間) of Noh and Kabuki theater performances.
From the Meiji period onward, makunouchi has become a common convention for bento boxes called ekiben sold at train stations. Convenience stores also sell a bento under the makunouchi name. Though the selection and number of items in a makunouchi bento vary from store to store, it often contains more items and costs more than other bento.