[ARAMAKI] Tissue Case

Aramaki salmon is a traditional food culture of the northern regions and a staple year-end gift. ARAMAKI has found new potential in the wooden boxes used to hold salmon rolls, proposing new ways to create wooden tissue cases. This unique item is a tissue case made from a box used for gifting salmon roe. This product was born from an encounter with the wooden box company Yoshioka Seikan. Wooden boxes for gifting salmon roe used to be mainly 2kg, but in recent years, rising prices have led to 1kg and 500g boxes becoming more common. So, we brought home some 2kg wooden boxes that had been piled up in a corner of the factory and found a new purpose for them. The lids are made from the same plywood used for actual packaging, with slits cut into them. After repeated fine improvements, the lids are now made by ARAMAKI, and the boxes are made by Iwamura Seikan Co., Ltd. The ink bleeding and smudges create a unique look, making this tissue case a real eye-catching addition to your everyday life.

ARAMAKI began when a shrine carpenter who returned to his hometown discovered the potential of salmon boxes, a commonplace item in Hokkaido. Shrine carpenters are taught to "cherish wood," "use it to the fullest," and "use the right material in the right place." By reevaluating and utilizing the value of salmon boxes, we continue to seek out their "right place" beyond simply storing salmon. Through our ongoing activities, we visited wooden box manufacturers, sawmills, and seafood processing companies in Kushiro, learning about the current state of the fishing, forestry, and distribution industries, including the replacement of wooden boxes with Styrofoam and declining salmon catches. We are therefore revising our production lines, developing products together with manufacturers, and creating spaces to consider the future of primary industries. From aramaki to ARAMAKI. We aim to reflect the food culture surrounding aramaki salmon in our manufacturing, fostering new richness in everyday life.
[From the ARAMAKI website]