A Craftsmanship Tour of the Land and Air: Paulownia Wood Boxes (Visit to Japan's Oldest Paulownia Wood Box Workshop and Hands-on Paulownia Wood Box Making Experience)

【Highlights】
* Watch as a board is smoothly transformed into a box in the hands of a craftsman, and the washed wood surface is polished to a smooth finish.
* The timeless atmosphere of the factory.

【Itinerary】
1. Orientation
2. Company Product Introduction
3. Factory Tour
4. Hands-on Crafting Experience (Assembling a Paulownia Box, Choosing a Print and Applying Foil Stamping)
5. Dialogue and Q&A
6. Souvenir Gift (A6-sized Paulownia Box Made During the Experience)
7. Reflection

【Details】
The Japanese paulownia box culture, which has continued for over 1000 years, is more than just a storage box. Its lightness, humidity control, and insect-repellent properties make it ideal for protecting kimonos, hanging scrolls, and valuables, and it has accompanied people's lives and the preservation of cultural assets from the Heian period to the present day. A "vessel" that has greatly contributed to the inheritance of Japanese culture.

This tour will visit Urakami Kirikogei, which boasts a history of over 150 years and is highly regarded both domestically and internationally as the oldest existing paulownia box company in Japan. Fuchu City is home to numerous companies that have been in business for over 100 years. Although it accounts for less than 2% of the prefecture's population, it represents approximately 7.1% of Hiroshima Prefecture's 100-year-old companies, giving it a strong presence as a "city of 100-year-old manufacturing companies." Engaging in the art of making paulownia wood boxes not only teaches techniques and materials, but also prompts reflection on "what has been valued to ensure its survival, and what will be valued to ensure its continued existence."