I once climbed Mount Koya on the Choishi Michi trail from the foot of the mountain. It had just stopped raining and I was lucky enough to find sanko no matsu (a bundle of three needles), which is said to bring good fortune. However, I only had my ZipLOCK and a stuff sack with me at the time because I prefer to travel light, so it was difficult to bring such a delicate item back to Tokyo intact.

That experience gave me an idea for a new outdoor gear?a storage box that will not collapse even if it is pressed from the top when packing and that allows fresh air to circulate without sealing the inner layer. I figure that with such a box, I can pack unique objects that I find in the mountains such as pine cones, mountain vegetables and mushrooms with my usual UL gear.

Six months later, I got the opportunity to commission a master craftsman from Kagoshima who received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon from the Emperor to create a wicker storage box. Tachizawa was determined to have a minimalist, no-frills box that is simple and masculine. This “mountain box” is a rare object because it is meant to be used outdoors throughout the year under various conditions such as high heat and freezing cold temperature, as well as in the morning mist. Exposure to such conditions will, in turn, deepen the color of the bamboo, so customers can see it evolve.

It is small so it can be placed perfectly at the bottom of a regular 35L to 45L UL backpack, but it also has enough capacity to store all the items required for a solo trip, such as a towel, cup, toothbrush, and pill case. I hope our customers can use the box to pack the bare essentials, just like the people in the past used to do before they embark on an Ise pilgrimage, and go where the wind takes them on their journey.
By Takashi Chiyoda

Humans are not the only creatures who use tools, but we are definitely the only ones who carry so many different types. For centuries, humans have been creating tools to carry various things such as water, game, harvest, weapons, books and scriptures.

People started creating wallets, pouches, furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth), trunks and so on when we began carrying money regularly. The tools we use to carry things also became more diverse as people ventured to different destinations such as Ise shrine and Mount Fuji.

Now, we are surrounded by bags that are designed to carry specific items such as musical instruments or golf clubs, as well as a wide range of bags with different capacities and purposes. In addition to its original function of carrying things, the bag we choose nowadays also shows our preference and has become a symbol of our social status.

When we pack for a holiday or a trip to the mountains, we separate our things. We do not put them directly into our suitcase or backpack, but in smaller separate bags first. Packing for a trip to the mountains can be difficult if you are not used to it. It is not simply a matter of retrieving the things you need out of the bag easily, but it can affect your safety too.

In recent years, people have been using stuff sacks, which are ultra-lightweight bags, to compartmentalize their backpacks. These waterproof sacks compress the items contained within and come in a variety of sizes. They have become a basic staple, but they are not suitable for storing hard objects such as digital equipment. This includes chargers, batteries, AC adaptors, cables, and recording media, not to mention spare batteries and AC adaptors for smartphones and so on.

We believe that such items will only continue to increase going forward, but since it is difficult to store them in stuff sacks, people have been using plastic containers. That was when we came up with the idea of using wicker storage boxes as a replacement and we approached a bamboo craftsman to weave Sankouri for us. There are pros and cons to using a box versus a plastic container; they are also the complete opposite of each other in terms of providing ventilation and being airtight. Plastic containers have a fixed capacity, but with our wicker storage boxes, the capacity can practically be doubled depending on how you put the cover. However, I think the biggest difference is the way they look.

Sometimes I want to carry luxurious items such as watercolour paint, a few paintbrushes, and a small sketchbook with Arches, Fabriano, or Waterford watercolour papers; a portable ink stone and ink stick; or a fine point brush and a book made of handmade Japanese paper bound in Japanese style with me when I head to the mountains, so I can paint the gorgeous view of a mountain stream or a portrait of wild flowers?all while keeping an eye out for bears. For that I would like to use Sankouri to carry my painting supplies rather than a plastic container.
By Kimamori Tachizawa