Limited-edition bentos draw crowds for railroad bento festival

Limited-edition bentos draw crowds for railroad bento festival

2026-06-05

From limited-edition lunch boxes to collectible train models, Taiwan’s biggest railway food festival is back and drawing crowds once again. Dedicated rail fans lined up before sunrise despite the rain, hoping to get their hands on exclusive bentos and souvenirs that sell out fast. This year’s Formosa Railroad Bento Festival is the largest ever, featuring 15 railway companies from Japan and a host of special collaborations, turning Taipei Main Station into a paradise for train enthusiasts and food lovers alike.

The Formosa Railroad Bento Festival is back for its 11th edition, its biggest one yet. As in previous years, rail fans were up bright and early to save a spot in line.

Railway fan
Woke up early
I arrived just past 6 in the morning. I want to buy the clay pot bento, or the wooden one. The meals are different every year. I became more invested in the 8th edition.

Railway fan
Longtime participant
I’ve come so many times. This is my 10th edition. You can’t even buy this one in Japan.

This railway enthusiast nabbed a special edition Japanese golden train bento, which is not for sale in Japan, as it is reserved for gifts only. The limited-edition souvenir marks the 10th anniversary of a partnership between Taiwan Railway and Tobu Railway.

This year, there are 15 Japanese railway companies joining in the fun, including JR East, JR Hokkaido, Izuhakone Railway, Ohmi Railway, Awajiwa and Enoshima Electric Railway.

Sekuguchi Motohito
Enoshima Electric Railway
We brought over this special lunch bag in the shape of a train on the Enoshima Electric Railway. Inside, you’ll find candied apples. We hope you’ll stop by our stand and have fun with us!

Ogasawara Yui
Aomori Railway Company
The bentos we brought over contain Aomori apples, Yesso scallops and black garlic.

The Taiwan Railway also has limited-edition collectibles, such as a time-limited clay pot bento packed with seafood or a surf-and-turf meal laid in a bamboo steamer. This year they’ve collaborated with the Cosmos Hotel and Smartfish.

Lin Li
FTV reporter
Besides a party for your taste buds, also for sale is a 1:150 replica of the popular painted train on the Jiji Line.

The miniature is done in the popular N scale, and includes all the cute and colorful designs created by internationally renowned artist Hung Yi. From delectable meals to delightful models, the annual 4-day event is a must-go for railway enthusiasts.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#traintravel #japanesefood #japan #taiwan #railway #jr #tr

"便當新食代"開蓋! 15家日本鐵道業者跨海應援便當節

2026-06-05

台鐵每年都會舉辦的鐵路便當節，今天(5日)在台北車站盛大登場，今年匯集15家日本鐵道業者跨海應援，台鐵的餐旅部也推出年度限定便當，不少民眾冒著雨，6點多就出發到現場搶頭香。

鐵路便當節邁入第11屆，規模越來越大，參展業者再創歷史新高，今年一樣，不少民眾不畏風雨，起個大早來搶頭香。

[[現場民眾]]
“6點多(就到了)。(想買)陶鍋、或是木盒便當。每年都會有不同造型跟菜色。大概從第8屆開始，比較認真在參加

[[現場民眾]]
“(參加)第N年、第10年了，這個在日本，是連他們日本人都買不到。”

這位先生手拿的，是日本只送不賣的金黃色列車便當盒，為了慶祝台鐵跟東武鐵道締結十週年限量販售。

這次有15家日本鐵道業者跨海參展，包括JR東日本、JR北海道、伊豆箱根鐵道、近江鐵、淡路屋，還有江之島電鐵也來力挺。

[[日本江之島電車營業部課長関口元人]]
“這次有我們江之島電鐵便當，這次我們特別帶過來，江之電的電車便當袋，袋子裡面有蘋果糖，希望大家都能來攤位跟我們同樂。

[[日本青森電車營業部課員小笠原夢唯]]
“這次帶來的便當，有用到青森的蘋果，還有帆立貝，還有黑蒜在我們的便當裡面。

台鐵限定便當是鐵道迷年年必收，像是這款限量炊飯陶鍋，海味滿滿；或是用蒸籠裝的海陸餐。今年也有和天成飯店、林聰明砂鍋魚頭的跨界聯名。

[[記者林莉]]
“滿足完味蕾，還有鐵道迷最關注的1：150集集復駛彩繪列車限量開賣。”

N規模型，一直是鐵道迷所關注，車身塗裝可是國際藝術大師洪易老師操刀，逛完鐵路嘉年華，再買個軌道模型，成為每年鐵道便當節4天一條龍行程。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Taichung improving park facilities after mysterious rhinoceros beetles deaths

The Taichung City Government recently constructed an ecological park themed around rhinoceros beetles in Dongshi District. After its official opening in May, they held a ceremony to release beetles into the park. But now, visitors are discovering that the insects are dying off in unusual numbers. Some suspect the hot weather paired with insufficient shade is to blame, but the actual cause remains under investigation. In the meantime, the city said it would continue adding shade structures and misting machines to improve their habitat.

Visitors poke their heads around, searching high and low for rhinoceros beetles. Finally, someone spots one clinging to a tree trunk, but it appears listless.

- The environment here is too hot for them. They’re going to die from the heat.

- Rhinoceros beetles aren’t really suited to be out during the summer.

The Dongshi Rhinoceros Beetle Ecological Park is the first in Taiwan to be dedicated to the insect. It officially opened on May 11, and on May 30, a ceremony was held to introduce beetles to the park. But visitors have noticed they’re dying off for unknown reasons.

Member of public
Sad for beetles
It’s a shame the beetles are dying off. The park needs to have better facilities, or they’ll keep suffering for nothing.

Member of public
Cares for beetles
The trees haven’t grown dense enough yet. The environment over there isn’t great for them.

Member of public
Thinking about beetles
They haven’t necessarily died from heat. Their lifespan is short. It’s mating season now. After mating, the males typically die within a week.

To shed light on this mystery, experts have weighted in.

Voice of Lee Yu-hung
Beetle shop owner
Beetles have an internal circulatory system. When in direct sunlight, they can’t dissipate the heat. The thermal energy will keep building in their bodies until it kills them. The trees there are probably not big enough yet, meaning there isn’t enough shade for them to escape the sun.

Chen Chao-jen
Taichung Maintenance Office officer
The Maintenance Office promptly installed shade cover, mist machines, and other facilities to optimize the habitat.

The city said that rhinoceros beetles don’t live long and are vulnerable to injury or death due to high temperatures or after mating. Moving forward, it vowed to keep improving shade and misting facilities to keep improving their environment.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tainan collision posts flattened by trucks three times in two weeks

To keep cars from crossing the center lines at one busy intersection in Tainan’s Rende District, the city put up five flexible collision posts down the center of the road. But after only a couple short weeks, they’ve already been flattened by trucks three times, earning them the title of the unluckiest posts in town.

Taxis and small trucks drive straight through this intersection like usual. But just behind them, this flatbed truck plows directly over the bright yellow posts separating traffic in the middle of the road.

These poor posts are bent at an angle now, all at the same 30 degrees.

Cheng Ching-erh
Chenggong Borough chief
Not long after we installed them, they got run over by a truck. We replaced them the next day, but after installing those, they were bent again by a crane truck.

Cheng said the posts were installed on May 9 and damaged on the very same day. They swapped them out for a new set and installed a surveillance camera to keep watch, capturing a cement truck speeding over them on May 20.

Then again, a truck ran over them on May 25, meaning the posts were destroyed three times in just half a month. What’s worse is that none of the drivers reported the incidents.

Cheng Ching-erh
Chenggong Borough chief
They’ve been replaced twice in 10 days. We’ve pulled the footage to review what happened and will get the police to investigate.

This is the intersection of Baosheng East and Chongde roads in Tainan’s Rende District. Since motorists often make illegal U-turns and cross the center lines here, the city put up these flexible posts to keep everyone in their lanes. While the accident rate has indeed dropped, it comes at the expense of these poor posts.

Member of public
Commenting on incident
Most of them are large trucks. But you can’t put up rigid ones. If a vehicle hit one, it would be dangerous.

The unluckiest traffic posts in the city have already been replaced twice. The borough chief has decided to involve the police to go after the drivers for compensation. He also called on motorists to pay attention while going through this intersection so these hard-working posts can catch a break.

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Farmers breed new floral-scented "Yulan Magnolia" pineapple

Taiwan is now well into its pineapple season and farmers are showing off new exclusive varieties with unique and delicious flavors. A family of pineapple farmers in Chiayi’s Minxiong has actually created a pineapple with a faint floral perfume called the Yulan Magnolia Pineapple. In addition, another pineapple farming family has created the Honey Peach Pineapple. It’s so popular, and the crop is so small, it’s often sold out. Let’s find out more.

The staff cut the pineapple into small chunks so that people can take big satisfying bites. With just one bite, the flesh is tender and there’s a delightful fragrance of flowers. This is no ordinary pineapple, but the grower’s exclusive variety: the Yulan Magnolia Pineapple.

- It has a delicate floral fragrance and it tastes very sweet and refreshing.

- The fibers are very fine, it’s very moist and it’s quite sweet.

The fruit has a green and yellow color scheme, is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom in a teardrop shape. It has a faint floral fragrance. When cut open, it’s even more impressive, revealing small flower-shaped patterns on the flesh. This family in Minxiong, Chiayi, has been pineapple farmers for three generations. Many years ago, they spent over ten years developing this exclusive Yulan Magnolia Pineapple variety. Although the annual yield is only about 10,000 fruits and the farm-gate price reaches over NT$100 each, it remains a massive hit.

Wang Pei-ju
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Actually, it takes a very long time to develop such a delicious variety. It’s our exclusive variety.

Besides the Yulan Magnolia Pineapple, there is also a Honey Peach Pineapple, which is quite unique. If you compare their flesh, the Yulan Magnolia Pineapple is whiter, while the Honey Peach Pineapple flesh is yellowish. Some people wanted to buy it but were left empty-handed.

Member of the public
The sweet and sour ratio is just right, so I recommend it, but it’s a rare treat. The owner said it’s only available once every three days.

Ms. Tsai
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Because the yield is very low, we harvest them every three days so they’re just ripe. If you pick them too early, they won’t taste good.

Mr. Lan
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The nationwide supply is very limited, so mass production has not yet commenced.

May and June are Taiwan’s pineapple season. In addition to the popular Golden Diamond Pineapple and Milk Pineapple, businesses are also launching their exclusive varieties so that people can try new flavors and experience different pineapple tastes.

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Shanghai’s gift of red pandas to the Taipei Zoo kicks off political storm

The Twin-City Forum held by Shanghai and Taipei last September involved the two cities signing an MOU for animal exchanges and cooperation. In practice, this meant the two cities agreed to exchange rare animals that are listed as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Taiwanese politicians are enraged – but not about whether these animals are better off in the wild or whether Taiwanese and Chinese zoos will ensure these species’ longevity. Instead, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an is pointing to China’s gift of red pandas to claim the cross-strait forum was a success, while DPP politicians are saying the beasts are Chinese tools that will encourage unification. Let’s find out more.

These two adorable little red pandas strolling leisurely around on the grass are gifts from Shanghai that will arrive in Taiwan on Saturday. The Taipei City Government is promoting them extensively, calling them an outcome of Twin-City Forum exchanges.

Puma Shen
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The so-called Twin-City Forum is the bottom of the barrel, not the top of the heap. We can actually communicate with countries all over the world. We had red panda exchanges with Japan in exactly the same way. This doesn’t seem like something that can be exclusively achieved through the Twin-City Forum. There’s no need for political preconditions for such exchanges.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei Mayor
Providing more genetic diversity and life education is very meaningful for our children.

The two red pandas arriving at the Taipei Zoo are from the Shanghai Zoo. This "animal exchange" at the Twin-City Forum involves Taipei sending rare white-handed gibbons to China. The Chiang administration is proud of this, but the pro-independence camp is lambasting the animal exchanges as a tool for unification. They argue that as early as March this year, Taiwan imported a female red panda called “Sensen” from Asahiyama Zoo in Japan, but the Taipei City Government did not greet this with high profile celebrations.

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The red pandas from China are considered treasures, while the red pandas from Japan are just weeds. And the key point is that Mayor Chiang Wan-an himself had to come out and say personally: this is the result of Twin-City Forum exchanges. Didn’t China also send giant pandas to Japan in the past, only to turn sour on a dime, with China then demanding: “Return them to me, I’m not letting you keep them anymore?”

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Flames burn fiercely out of a hawker’s truck. The blaze originated from a deep frying wok. Impossibly black, thick smoke shot into the sky, not only burning through the entire roof, but even damaging a sign on a nearby drugstore.

When the firefighters arrived, they immediately used fire extinguishers to put out the fire, but after the entire canister was used up, the fire was still just as big. They then had to change their approach and spray water to extinguish it.

With a powerful jet of water, the fire was finally extinguished, leaving only the frame of the stand.

- The metal cover next to it got too hot and instantly caught fire.
- Your hands are burned!
- Put some ice on them.

Kao Cheng-huang
Keelung City Fire Department
The deep fryer for selling scallion pancakes caught fire, and we quickly set up water lines to put it out.

On Fuxing Road in Keelung City, the scallion pancake hawker’s truck caught fire when the owner suddenly needed to use the restroom and forgot to turn off the burner, causing hot oil to splatter and start a fire. The owner immediately grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, but the fire only intensified, and he also burned his hands. Firefighters remind the public that if a cooking oil fire occurs, do not pour water on it, and don’t rush for the fire extinguisher.

Kao Cheng-huang
Keelung City Fire Department
The correct method is to first cover the pot with a lid, then turn off the power and the range hood. After covering it, cover the pot with a damp towel and let it sit for five minutes to cool down before opening the pot lid.

In addition to covering the oil pan with its lid in order to cut off the air and extinguish the fire, fire fighters also said that a certain distance must be maintained when using a fire extinguisher to avoid high-pressure gas causing hot oil to splatter everywhere and burn even more.

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Mainland ministry announces ban on government personnel attending PRC event

The PRC’s 18th Straits Forum will be held in the middle of this month. For the first time, the Mainland Affairs Council has announced a ban on central government and local government personnel from participating in any of its activities, a step up from its previous stance of “not recommending” they attend. The council says the event is the largest Chinese United Front operation targeting Taiwan. The first person to bear the brunt of the decision was Taitung County Commissioner Yao Ching-ling, of the KMT, who had put in an application to attend. Let’s hear what she and the council have to say.

Yao Ching-ling
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Actually, I don’t think it’s that important for me personally to be able to participate in the Straits Forum. I just feel it’s a bit of a pity. Whether problems can be solved is what I care more about. I’ve always felt my role as Taitung County Commissioner is a platform. If everyone can work together to make this platform better, that would be a very good thing. It’s a real shame.

Liang Wen-chieh
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We prohibit participation in activities related to the Taiwan version of “one country, two systems,” or “democratic consultations” aimed at eliminating the ROC. We urge all sectors and political parties not to echo the CCP’s narrative on Taiwan and become tools for United Front work against Taiwan.

Chen Yu-chen
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Why would you assume that they are necessarily trying to win us over? When we go and hold exchanges with them, why can’t we also win them over?

Chuang Jui-hsiung
Legislator (DPP)
The purpose of the entire Straits Forum is actually to promote unification. It’s about integration and promoting unification. There are so many forums around the world. Why do you insist on participating in this kind of forum that aims to eliminate our own country? From any government’s perspective, you would definitely express your opposition.

The Straits Forum, which is entirely conceived and guided by the PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office since 2009 has seen its main attendees primarily from the KMT, New Party and some NGOs. The DPP has explicitly prohibited its party officials from participating. Although it claims to expand cross-strait people-to-people exchanges and strengthen cooperation, the core message of this forum is to emphasize that both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same roots and that the motherland should be united peacefully.

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