Odate Oval Magewappa Bento Box

Traditional steam-bending wood lunchbox

People who first saw the items created using the craft (or art: these things are not different in Japanese culture) called magewappa that has been fine-tuned in Akita Prefecture for centuries thought that they were made by machines, using a synthetic material. Because it is very hard to believe that items so perfectly shaped as the Odate Oval Magewappa Bento Box can actually be thin pieces of wood (Akita sugi/cedar, to be exact) that has been steamed for hours to get soft enough to be bent like that!

Like all Japanese crafts, magewappa really shines with traditional items, like the Odate Oval Magewappa Bento Box, the truly Japanese way to carry your lunch to school or work. You can get it in two sizes, small and medium, with capacities of 490 ml (16.6 fl oz) and 640 ml (21.6 fl oz), and it also has a separator so you can divide it into two compartments for packing both your rice and okazu (side dish). If you are Japanese, that is all you need for the perfect meal discreetly scented with the fragrance of Akita's cedars!

Specs and Features:

  • Traditional Akita Prefecture magewappa steam-bending wood craft product
  • Sizes: small, medium
  • Dimensions (small): 180 x 110 x 50 mm (7 x 4.3 x 2")
  • Dimensions (medium): 188 x 120 x 58 mm (7.4 x 4.7 x 2.3")
  • Capacity: small 490 ml (16.6 fl oz), medium 640 ml (21.6 fl oz)
  • Material: urethane-coated Akita sugi (cedar), cherry tree bark
  • Can be washed with regular dish washing detergent
  • Comes with compartment separator
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US$ 117
(Option prices include additional shipping costs if applicable)