TOKYO, Dec. 21 — Wooden boxes used to ship apples are proving popular as a decorative piece of furniture to add a stylish touch to homes and stores.
Shinsaka Seikan in the town of Nanbu in Aomori Prefecture is a long-established manufacturer, which has been producing fruit shipping crates for more than 70 years.
Even as plastic shipping containers have become the mainstream, the company’s craftsmen continue to handcraft wooden cases using red pine grown in Aomori Prefecture.
A decline in demand for wooden shipping boxes prompted the firm to create and sell smaller crates for interior decoration purposes.
In 2022, the boxes attracted attention after they were used as composters.
Since then, they have been used in various places including markets, farm stands and supermarkets’ fruit and vegetable sections, and even at apparel brand stores.
A set of two regular apple box-size crates can be purchased via the firm’s online store at 4,520 yen.
“They can be used in various ways,” said Shinsaka Seikan President Kazuhiro Shinsaka, 65. “We hope people will enjoy the warmth of wood.”
Wooden apple boxes piled up in Nanbu, Aomori Prefecture. The crates are becoming popular as a furniture to give a touch of retro flair to homes and shops.