駅弁

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 駅弁(えきべん) means a boxed meal sold at a railway station, combining 駅 with 弁当 shortened to 弁.
• Basic usage: It appears in scenes of buying food before a train departs or eating while watching the passing scenery.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Range compared with 弁当
  • 弁当(べんとう) broadly means a packed meal for carrying and eating. 駅弁 specifically brings out the station-sold meal associated with railway travel.