History
Established in 1929, Masuda Kiribako’s start was producing traditional handcrafted kiribako, boxes made from paulownia wood, for traditional Japanese objects such as Hakata dolls and Shamisen instruments. Afterwards Masuda Kiribako cultivated crafting methods for a wide range of containers, from tea ceremony instruments and foodstuffs, to general goods and catch-all containers and currently makes many different paulownia wood products. Masuda Kiribako is currently run by Hirofumi Fujii. Born in 1987, Hirofumi is a young leader who is also a third-generation president, having continued the craft from his grandfather, the second-generation head of Masuda Kiribako. With Hirofumi, Masuda Kiribako is continuously developing unique crafting methods to create beautiful and charming containers.
| 1929 | Having apprenticed in Hiroshima, Hirofumi’s great-grandfather, Matsuyoshi Masuda, establishes “Matsuyoshi Masuda’s Kiribako Shop” in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| 1964 | Land is purchased in Koga City, Fukuoka and Masuda Kiribako transfers to a newly built factory |
| 1966 | “Masuda Kiribako Corporation” is established with Hirofumi’s grandfather, Hiroshi Masuda as the President |
| 1979 | A second factory is established in Shingu, within the Kasuya District of Fukuoka |
| 1990 | Masuda Kiribako establishes its own lumber yard |
| 2002 | Masuda Kiribako works are put on display in the Kyushu National Museum |
| 2012 | Hirofumi Fujii becomes President of Masuda Kiribako |
| 2013 | Collaborations with designers are started, and Masuda Kiribako launches production and development of designer products |
| 2013 | Masuda Kiribako moves to a newly built factory in Koga City, Fukuoka |
| 2017 | Masuda Kiribako’s paulownia wood rice bin is selected by the JIDA Design Museum Selection *JIDA: Japan Industrial Designers Association |
Products（Paulownia） characteristic
Paulownia wood is deemed the most valued and treasured in Japan. This is because paulownia is the most appropriate wood for a box or container. The reason paulownia is the most appropriate is, firstly, that it is light. From both a transportation and a protection viewpoint, being light is a big advantage. It is also pliable and flexible. Because it is a pliable material, it can absorb shocks from both the outside and inside and prevent damage. The box itself may be nicked or damaged, but dents may be fixed by slightly dampening the wood.
Paulownia also has an abundance of tannins, giving it anti-bug and anti-mold capabilities, a further asset to protecting its contents. The most valued asset of the tannins, however, is that they protect the wood against water and, when submersed, the wood swells and seals the container so that water cannot enter the contents. This was especially important within Japanese history, where water damage from fighting fires or heavy rains and flooding was a concern.
We are working to develop original paulownia products beyond simply paulownia packaging products. In addition, we continuously expand our box and container production techniques and technology to produce new container styles with combinations of different raw materials. These new designs have received multiple awards and have been featured in many exhibitions.
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Click here for Masuda's products