Oju Box | Japanese Fairy Tales

Like applying layers of lacquer ,

We will continue to celebrate our special days .

Can be used throughout the year,
A box for changing clothes

Have you ever used a lacquerware lunch box or bento box in your daily life?

For me (Taya Kodai), lacquerware lunch boxes remind me of school trips I took in elementary school.

At lunchtime, I opened the lid of my Wajima lacquer lunch box and found a sandwich inside.

I remember being a little surprised that a lunch box usually filled with rice and side dishes would contain a sandwich.

When I took a bite of the sandwich, I was hit with the subtle sweetness of the soft, moist bread and the saltiness of the ham and mayonnaise. My lunch box was soon empty. I took one of my friend's sandwiches and was shocked by the difference. The bread was dry.

This happened several times, and as a child I began to think, "Wajima lacquerware lunch boxes are amazing."

Spreading from the four lids,
Various uses

Lacquerware, made of wood, has the ability to regulate temperature and humidity, and combined with the antibacterial properties of the lacquer, it prevents food from spoiling and keeps it fresh for a long time. Unfortunately, however, boxes are not used much in everyday life these days. It would be a waste to leave such a convenient piece of tableware unused.

We wondered what we could do to make people more familiar with bento boxes, and so we created a bento box that can be changed by changing the lid, just like changing your clothes with the seasons.

To enable use all year round, the two-tiered "Japanese Folktales" box comes with four different lids decorated with designs combining the four seasons of nature with characters from folktales, all made using the traditional maki-e technique of Togidashi Maki-e (a technique in which colored lacquer is applied and then sprinkled with gold, and then the same colored lacquer is applied on top and polished away, causing the gold to softly appear from within the color).

In spring, there is the old man making flowers bloom under the cherry blossoms in full bloom, in summer there is Princess Kaguya gazing at the red Mount Fuji, in autumn there is Momotaro planning a strategy to defeat the demon amid the fluttering autumn leaves, and in winter there is the old man praying to the Kasa Jizo statue.

The vibrant story, set against a lustrous black lacquer background, will transport adults back to their childhood and invite children into a rich world of fantasy.

Another fun thing is that after you purchase the box, we will add a small design to the inside of each of the four lids. The design is related to the design of the box itself, such as the faces of a red and blue demon on the inside of the Momotaro lid, so we do not tell you in advance what kind of design you will receive. This is because we want you to look forward to the surprise when you receive the item and open the lid.

The designs, which have been carefully crafted by the Taya family and maki-e artists, are cute and pop, with a modern twist on the Wajima lacquerware design.

To prevent small children from getting hurt when touching the box, the four corners of the box have been gently rounded using the "sumimaru" technique, which involves using a plane to round the corners.

This familiar bento box can be easily brought to sports days or outdoor outings, where it would be difficult to unfold a bento box with a classic design.

A bento box filledwith memories of our home

"Wow, it's the old man who made the flowers bloom. Grandma, do you know the story of the old man who made the flowers bloom?"

"Yes. Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman. One day, the old man was washed down the river... I wonder what happened next."

"Shall I tell you a story?"

Lively conversation can be heard even before the meal begins. The family's faces light up as they gaze upon the two-tiered box of "Japanese Folk Tales" placed in the center of the table. As they chat and admire the lacquerware on the lid of the box, a harmonious atmosphere spreads around the dining table.

"He's gotten so much better at talking since he started kindergarten."

As my son was being praised by his father and proudly recounting old stories, his profile showed no trace of his babyhood, but instead, his grandmother's back was now rounder than it had been back then.

"Mom, hurry up. I'll eat it!"

"Yes, I'll be there now."

The time spent together around the box will become a fond memory, and the box, filled with family memories, will be passed down from parent to child, and from child to grandchild.