Among Japan's rich pantheon of traditional crafts, "magewappa" (creating things from rounded strips of cedar or cypress wood) is rather under-appreciated. This is a real shame since it's actually one of the most interesting. The Pillow Magewappa Wood Craft Lunchbox combines the age-old wood-bending technique with one of the most emblematic items of all Japanese culture: the "bento-bako" lunchbox.
A collaboration between designer Yukio Hashimoto and Gifu Prefecture craftsman Hida Shikki, the Pillow Lunchbox is a superb example of artisanship that also guarantees to keep your lunch tasty even when cold thanks to the cedar wood's humidity-regulating properties. As for the name, it comes from the lid's shape: playing with the basic flat design, the creators have given it a curved top to make it look and function like a classic Japanese pillow.
The Pillow Magewappa Wood Craft Lunchbox features:
- Three parts: box, lid, divider
- Handmade in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
- Made of unfinished Japanese cedar wood
- Size: 10 x 17.5 x 8cm (3.9 x 6.8 x 3.1")