Bento - Grass, History and Leaves

Bento boxes, invented in Edo times, hold many morsels of different tastes in a decorative arrangement. In order to keep these morsels - and therefore their tastes - apart, a variety of separating materials is used. These days, most often green plastic strips cut to look like grass are used for that. However, the traditional use of certain leaves, cut to release the plant's own microbicides, are often better for keeping the food separated and fresh. The type of leaves traditionally used differ from area to area. With Aspidistra elatior (a member of the lily family) being used in Kansai (including Kyoto) and sasanoha (leaves of bamboo grass) being used in Edo (Tokyo).
[Source: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ek20080115wh.html]

FM-PMS

current chapter word count: 4906
scene worked on today: the exorcism
scene complete? you wish! This scene may well end up above 5000 words!
character taking a fall: Subaru
character dusting his pants: Seishiro
character contemplating shikis: Omi
useful plot items: sakura petals and a cement plant
research of the day: cement manufacturing process (I recommend this flash animation about it.)
quote of the day: "I'm getting too old for shit like this!"

unrelated side-note: I've just started reading Daniel Fox' "Dragon in Chains" and totally love his style and story telling. That the book's fantasy setting is inspired by ancient China is also a plus. :)