Shibata Zeshin - Stacked Food Box (Jūbako) with Taro Plants and Chrysanthemums

Jubako are used for take-away meals as bento, or for the traditional Japanese New Year meal of osechi ryori. The osechi ryori dishes served in a jubako are deeply symbolic, as is the actual use of the jubako box - the box has several tiers, symbolising the 'layering of luck and happiness'. Traditionally, a jubako for osechi has five shelves, but only the top four are filled. The bottom tier is empty and is used to "receive blessings from the gods". In recent years, however, three-tier jubakos have become increasingly popular. Filling a jubako with five, seven or nine kinds of food is believed to bring good luck, as 5, 7 and 9 are lucky numbers in Japanese culture.