Yusanbako (Wooden Lunch Boxes)

Yusanbako are three-tiered lacquered wooden lunch boxes that children in Tokushima carried on spring picnics throughout the Edo and Meiji eras, traditionally filled with inarizushi, simmered vegetables, and sweet uiro rice cakes. A vertically sliding lid holds the stacking trays in place; a handle sits on top. Demand declined after World War II as families moved away from agriculture, but a 2006 book by researcher Miyake Masahiro sparked a revival. Today painting workshops are popular with school groups and visitors looking for a personal souvenir. Traditionally lacquered versions remain available as gifts for weddings and new babies, and some people use them as display pieces or small storage boxes.