Japanese convenience store is very focused with its new bento…maybe TOO focused

Lawson’s crazy corn bento arrives as part of new series of “sugi” foods .

In Japanese, the suffix -sugi translates literally as “too” or “too much,” but it can also be used in the sense of “very.” This can sometimes make the intended meaning hard to understand.

For example, if someone says their coworker isn’t just yasahii (“kind”), but yasashisugi , that could either mean that they’re incredibly considerate, or it could mean that they’re overly, even problematically accommodating.

So generally you have to look at the overall context in which -sugi is being used, but even then, it’s not always easy to tell.

For example, Japanese convenience store Lawson is getting set to release its new Ittentoppasugi line of bento boxed lunches .

Ittentoppa basically means “single-minded,” which leaves us with the question of whether they’re extremely single-minded or too single-minded, and really, you could make an argument either way.

“JUST CORN” (コーンだけ), Lawson trumpets proudly in the promotional image for the new Ittentoppasugi Shikitsume Gohan Yaki Tomorokoshi , which, despite its lengthy name, really is just a whole lot of roasted corn ( yaki tomorokoshi ) served over a tray of rice ( shikitsume Gohan ).

Those are the only ingredients, aside from the buttery soy sauce spread over the kernels.

But maybe you look at that box of corn and rice and can’t help thinking you’d like something with a little more protein? No problem, because Lawson’s focused/obsessive offerings continue with the Ittentoppasugi Shikitsume Gohan Teriyaki Sausage . ▼ As unartful as the presentation might be, teriyaki sauce and sausage actually are kind of a novel combination.

And finally, rounding out the Ittentoppasugi series is the Ittentoppasugi Shikitsume Gohan Bodakko , featuring a type of salted salmon popular in Akita Prefectue.

This one doesn’t match the quantity of its corn and sausage brethren, but it’s no less single-minded, perhaps to a depressingly spartan-looking degree.

Speaking of which, Lawson describes all three of these as “bento,” which more commonly brings to mind boxed lunches with rice and a variety of side dishes (though bento does also sometimes get used for single-topping boxes/trays of rice too).

Now, if you’re someone who can’t get enough corn or sausage, or who appreciates salmon so much that you don’t want anything else getting in the way on your palate, then these Ittentoppasugi bento aren’t necessarily too ittentoppasugi , and for those who’re OK with this degree of single-mindedness, they are pretty reasonably priced.

The corn and salmon bento are just 297 yen (US$1.85), and the sausage bento is 397 yen, far cheaper than just about any other convenience store bento these days .