Videographer : Colin Mok
Tea Boxes: A Timeless Japanese Tradition for Thoughtful Storage
The tea box is a traditional Japanese storage item that dates back to the 1800s, when Japan began exporting tea overseas. Since tea leaves are delicate and must remain fresh during long ocean voyages, these boxes were designed to offer exceptional protection against moisture and insects.
various uses for tea boxes
Each box is handcrafted by skilled artisans. While originally intended to preserve tea, they are now cherished for storing a wide range of items—rice, coffee beans, clothing, cameras, and other daily necessities—keeping them safe from humidity. Rooted in harmony with nature, tea boxes are also highly sustainable and, when well cared for, can be passed down through generations.
However, with the rise of cardboard and plastic containers, the demand for tea boxes has steadily declined. This, combined with a shortage of successors in the trade, has put traditional tea box makers at risk.
In Kawane-Honcho, Shizuoka Prefecture—one of Japan’s premier tea-producing regions—tea box manufacturing once flourished. Yet over time, factories preserving this craft began shutting down one after another. Among them was the historic Maeda Box Company, a workshop with a 75-year legacy that was on the brink of closure.
the craftsman of Maeda box company
The Revival Led by a Woman with a Mission
Kieko Sonoda, a civil servant in Kawane-Honcho, was deeply committed to revitalizing her town and promoting Japanese tea to the world. She thought about the future of her town every single day, 365 days a year. In 2000, she made a bold decision—retiring from public service to dedicate herself to showcasing the beauty of Japanese craftsmanship through tea boxes.
Taking over the Maeda Box Company, she founded Maeda Kobo and began production once again, with a renewed purpose: to breathe new life into this declining craft and share it with the world.
the factory founded in 2020
Bringing Japanese Tea Boxes to a Global Stage
Today, Maeda Kobo is led by a new generation of artisans in their 30s and 40s. But as Sonoda recalls, the path to this point was filled with countless challenges.
Inheriting the skills of master craftsmen who have spent decades refining their techniques is no small feat.
she says.
The masters themselves must be deeply committed to passing down their knowledge, and those receiving it must approach the work with equal dedication.
each tea box is made by hand
Crafting tea boxes demands precision—working with natural wood, which shifts and breathes, requires mastery to avoid even the slightest deviation. At Maeda Kobo, artisans hone their skills through a culture of friendly competition, preserving the tradition as part of Kawane-Honcho's unique tea-making heritage.
What’s more, the production process generates virtually no waste. Wood shavings are collected by local egg farmers to line chicken coops, and scraps are reused by residents for wood-burning stoves. It's a beautiful example of environmentally conscious community building, where every resource is treated with respect.
I want to grow the tea box tradition here in a way that honors each material and every hand that touches it.
says Sonoda.
Her vision is clear:
My dream is to make tea boxes from this town known throughout the world.
As she speaks, her eyes reflect unwavering confidence and purpose.
.
wood used for tea box is dried for at least two months
