Echizen Washi Cobble Box - Brown

These paper boxes are hand-sculpted using Echizen washi, a type of Japanese paper made in the Echizen region of Fukui Prefecture. Washi is made from three different plants: kōzo, mitsumata and gampi, the long fibres of which create incredibly durable papers. With a 1500-year old history, a cluster of five villages in Echizen is Japan’s largest washi-making area. According to legend, the method of papermaking was imparted on the locals by a beautiful princess, who mysteriously vanished at the upper reaches of the Okamoto river and became worshipped as Kawakami Gozen, the ancestral deity of papermaking and guardian of the paper production in Japan. These hand-sculpted boxes, resembling stones stacked on river banks, are made of multiple layers of Echizen washi making them surprisingly sturdy and perfect for use as lightweight containers for everyday items.

Kansai

The Kansai region includes the second-most populated metropolitan area in Japan with its largest city Osaka. Kyoto and Nara, two of Japan’s former capital cities, are home to important temples and shrines and strongholds of intangible cultural heritage, such as the Kyoto textile weaving skills of Nishijin.