Although the concept of Japanese lunch boxes, or bento boxes, has presently become known all over the World, few, especially abroad\/away from Japan, have had the occasion to savor food out of traditional boxes made of highly quality lacquer wood. There is a simple reason to that: very few artists are still alive plying their trade and craft in an age where almost everything is made of cheap plastic or metal.<\/p>\n

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Whereas fancy modern bento boxes might possess the appeal of novelty, they will never enhance the sensation, design and taste of the food they contain as much as traditional ones.<\/p>\n

There is also a widespread misconception that bento boxes are conceived for children\u2019s lunches. When you discover the looks of sheer envy from work colleagues when they espy one of theirs opening such a box to start a beautiful meal prepared by a loving one you will be convinced that you are indeed missing a true gastronomic experience whatever the cuisine you enjoy every day.<\/p>\n

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This is the beauty of bento boxes: there is no limit to what food or gastronomy they might contain<\/p>\n

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6th Generation Ikawa Mempa Lunch Box Craftsman: Mr. Yoshiaki Mochizuki\/\u671b\u6708\u7fa9\u79cb\u3055\u3093<\/p>\n

Here in Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka City to be more precise, we are blessed with one of the very few true artists surviving, namely Mr. Yoshiaki Mochizuki\/\u671b\u6708\u826f\u79cb, the Sixth Generation of the famed Ikawa Mempa Lunch Boxes craftsmen.<\/p>\n

Ikawa\/\u4e95\u5ddd is a village located high in the Mountains of the Japan Southern Alps at the northern tip of Shizuoka City. Mempa\/\u30e1\u30f3\u30d1 is the name of the traditional lunch boxes created from hinoki\/\u6a9c\/Japanese Cypresses and Yamazakura\/\u5c71\u685c\/Mountain Cherry Trees found there in their natural environment. Although it looks simple enough, the craft is a very precise one and only years of dedication and painstaking work may result in true masterpieces.<\/p>\n

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Ikawa Mempa Lunch Boxes come in two basic shapes:<\/p>\n

\n
• Kobangata\/\u5c0f\u5224\u578b\/oval-shaped which accounts for 80% of the production.<\/li>\n
• Marugata\/\u4e38\u578b\/round-shaped.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  The process is basically the same for all, be they round or oval, single, double, triple-tiered or even more.<\/p>\n

  MANUFACTURE PROCESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

  1- KITORI\/\u6728\u53d6\u308a<\/p>\n

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  Hinoki\/\u6a9c\/Japanese cypresses are measured and cut out into slats according to the size of the bento boxes.<\/p>\n

  2-KEZURI\/\u524a\u308a<\/p>\n

  The wood is then thinned in three steps with a plane:
  \nAra kezuri\/\u8352\u524a\u308a= rough plane cutting
  \nNaka kezuri\/\u4e2d\u524a\u308a= intermediate plane cutting
  \nShiage kezuri\/\u4ed5\u4e0a\u3052\u524a\u308a= finish plane cutting<\/p>\n

  3- MENTORI\/\u9762\u53d6\u308a<\/p>\n

  Rounding the edges with a curved plane.<\/p>\n

  4- KI HANA\/\u6728\u9f3b<\/p>\n

  Thinning areas where the wood parts come into direct contact to avoid disformation.<\/p>\n

  5- KIGOROSHI\/\u6728\u6bba\u3057<\/p>\n

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  \u201cKoro\/\u3053\u308d\u201d<\/p>\n

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  \u201cKoro\u201d unfurled<\/p>\n

  The hinoki\/\u6a9c\/Japanese cypress slats are softened by boiling them into water for a full hour, after which they will be curved with the help of a tool called \u201ckoro\/\u3053\u308d\u201d.<\/p>\n

  6- KANSOU\/\u4e7e\u71e5<\/p>\n

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  Step 1<\/p>\n

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  Step 2<\/p>\n

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  Step 3<\/p>\n

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  Step 4<\/p>\n

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  Step 5<\/p>\n

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  The curved wood slats being secured wooden pegs are left to dry in sunlight for 2~3 days.<\/p>\n

  7- KABANUI\/\u30ab\u30d0\u7e2b\u3044<\/p>\n

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  Yamazakura\/\u5c71\u685c\/mountain cherry tree bark strips<\/p>\n

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  After square holes have been have been cut out, the slat is secured with strips of mountain cherry tree strips.<\/p>\n

  8- SOKOIRE\/\u5e95\u5165\u308c<\/p>\n

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  Models for oval-shaped bottoms<\/p>\n

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  Models for round-shaped bottoms<\/p>\n

  The bottom of the lunch box is cut out of a plank of the same tree in the desired shape.<\/p>\n

  9- SHIBUSHITAJI\/\u6e0b\u4e0b\u5730<\/p>\n

  The wood is painted twice with a mixture of unripe persimmon powder (kakishibu\/\u67ff\u6e0b) and red iron oxide powder (bengara\/\u5f01\u67c4) to harden it.<\/p>\n

  10- KOKUSO\/\u3053\u304f\u305d<\/p>\n

  The space between the bottom and the sides is filled with two layers of lacquer instead of glue.<\/p>\n

  <\/a><\/p>\n

  11- SABITSUKE\/\u9306\u4ed8\u3051<\/p>\n

  A mixture of fresh lacquer and whetstone powder is applied on the bottom and the cherry tree strips with a bamboo spatula.<\/p>\n

  12- SABITOGI\/\u9306\u7825\u507d<\/p>\n

  The dried lacquer is smoothed over with a wetted piece of(No 360) sandpaper.<\/p>\n

  13- SHIBUSHITAJI\/\u6e0b\u4e0b\u5730<\/p>\n

  The whole box is painted again with a mixture of kakishibu\/\u67ff\u6e0b\/unripe persimmon powder and bengara\/\u5f01\u67c4\/red iron dioxide powder. Once dried, any dust is carefully wiped out.<\/p>\n

  14- URUSHI HON NURI\/\u6f06\u672c\u5857\u308a<\/p>\n

  The whole box is painted with lacquer 2 or 3 times in a room free of dust. The boxes may be painted all in dark colors or bright red.<\/p>\n

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  Bright red<\/p>\n

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  Wholly painted with dark lacquer<\/p>\n

  SPECIAL ORDERS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  Seven-tiered lunch box with a Mount Fuji scenery gold-painted with a hair brush<\/p>\n

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  Seven-tiered lunch box with a scenery of the Tokyo Tower gold-painted with a hair brush and reflecting the light<\/p>\n

  Needless to say that there exists only one unique piece of each of these two masterpieces although Ikawa Mempa Lunch Boxes can be order-made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Although the concept of bento boxes is well-known, few have had the occasion to savor lunch from traditional artistic boxes made of highly quality lacquer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,21,25],"tags":[1309,1362],"class_list":{"0":"post-2941","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"category-food","9":"category-shopping","10":"tag-art","11":"tag-tradition"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n