Chowa Box - Described

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CHOWA BOX™️

Chowa Boxes are handcrafted in Kiri-Bako style, a wooden box making practice with over 300 years of history in Japan. Kiri-Bako (Paulownia box) was developed using leftover materials from Paulownia chests. These boxes have long been used in Japan as a way to store precious items such as ancient ceramic equipments for tea ceremony.

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SUSTAINABILITY

The CHOWA BOX is entirely made out of Kiri: Paulownia, a tree that belongs to the grass family. It grows faster than any hardwood timber trees in the world, making it a sustainable choice for box production. The culture and tradition surrounding this box-making practice are also very mindful of the environment.

MATERIAL SUSTAINABILITY

The products are fully in Kiri: a uniquely sustainable form of timber.

*MINUS CARBON FOOT PRINT

Paulownia forest absorbs up to 11 times more CO2 than mixed forests.

A CONSCIOUS REPURPOSING

Repurposing luxury packaging reduces waste, embodying "Mottainai".

HANDCRAFTED BY ARTISANS

Crafted by Japanese artisans, utilize centuries-old sustainable techniques.

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CRAFTSMANSHIP

The Chowa Box is made in partnership with Akebono Kougei, a third-generation Kiri-Bako box manufacturer from Fukuyama, Japan. This region has over 300 years of expertise in this craft. Their collaboration has resulted in the utmost quality for Chowa Boxes.

1

CUTTING

The Kiri material is cut into pieces of custom dimensions after a thorough examination of its quality.

2

ASSEMBLING

The four walls are carefully glued by hand. The top and bottom pieces are then added to create a cubic form.

3

COMPRESSING

This cubic form is compressed with a heavy weight machine to ensure the structure's robustness.

4

WARI PROCESS

The cubic form is eventually cut into a base and a lid. Achieving a perfect fit with a skilled technique.

5

YARO RIM

The internal rim, known as "Yaro", is carefully added to ensure the lid fits with the perfect amount of friction.

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BOX CHARACTERISTICS

HUMIDITY CONTROL

Chowa Box seals itself and regulates the humidity inside, making it a perfect container for humidity-sensitive materials.

HEAT RESISTANCE

Kiri’s high thermal conductivity causes it to carbonize the surface upon ignition, which protects the contents.

LIGHTWEIGHT + ROBUST

Kiri belongs to the grass family. It has a luxurious appearance and is also extremely lightweight and robust.

CORROSION RESISTANT

Controlling humidity also results in high resistance to corrosion. The Chowa box maintains durability for decades.

INSECT RESISTANT

For hundreds of years, the Chowa Box has been used to store kimonos and silk fabrics, protecting them from insects.

LOW SHRINKAGE

Due to its low moisture content, Kiri wood is less prone to shrinking than other woods, and it maintains a consistent structure.

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BOX CUSTOMIZATION

CHOWA offers comprehensive creative service from brainstorming the ideas, developing prototypes and finalizing the design fully costumed for the packaging collaboration. We apply our design knowledge to Chowa Box with profound understanding in traditional values and essence around the handicraft of Kiri-bako.

LASER ETCHING

Laser etching a detailed custom branded design on the surface of Chowa Box.

FOIL PRESS PRINT

Foil printing custom logo on the Chowa Box (Max height apx10cm to apply)

UV COLOR PRINTING

UV print can print detailed design on the Chowa Box similarly to printing on paper.

BOX TYPES

TOGEI BAKO

Togeibako style is a premium structure with Sanada Ribbons.

HON-INRO

Most popular lid structure that seals the contents.

KABUSE

Kabuse style lid structure is a simple lid on top.

SANADA RIBBON

Sanada Ribbon (Sanada-Himo) is a traditional ribbon that has been used in Japan for over 400 years. Invented by Samurai merchant Masayuki Sanada, Sanada Himo became popular for its durability, tying armour during the Sengoku Era in Japan.

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SANADA RIBBON
SANADA RIBBON
SANADA RIBBON

CHOWA AUTHENTICITY

CHOWA AUTHENTICITY

Chowa’s premium line boxes have authenticity sticker.

CONTROLLED FRICTION

Similar to an iPhone packaging box, the Chowa box offers a gratifying delay as the perfectly fitted lid gently opens. The iPhone has a patented feature called “Air Pocket Packaging” for their boxes, which uses CONTROLLED FRICTION to enhance the unboxing experience. The Chowa box, handcrafted by artisans, has this attribute naturally since its invention, centuries ago. This feature of Chowa Box enhances the luxury packaging to make unboxing more exciting, all while maintaining the use of sustainable material.

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CONTROLLED FRICTION