With Japan's school year starting in April, mid-February to early April is the big time for buying school supplies. High school and university graduates move away from home at the same time, making it a big time for them to buy bento supplies as well.

This same period is also the time for cherry blossom viewing, or hanami in Japan, and picnic bento is a big part of the tradition. This means lots of discount deals on bento gear!

Of course, you can buy bento accessories any time of year, and specialist shops and 100 yen stores are great places to start.