Hako (Box) Day

What Is Hako (Box) Day?

August 5th is "Hako no Hi" (Box Day) every year. It was established in 1991 by the Tokyo Paper Box Industry Association (東京紙器工業組合). The date comes from the wordplay "ha (8) - ko (5)," which spells "hako," meaning "box." Under the slogan "This day is Box Day, Box Day is this day — August 5th is Box Day," it aims to improve technical standards in the paper box industry and to show consumers the merits of paper boxes.

A Short History of Paper Boxes and Corrugated Board

Both "shiki" (folding paper boxes like those for sweets and cosmetics) and corrugated cardboard shipping boxes are made of paper, and they have some surprising history.

• Corrugated board began with top hats: Corrugated paper is said to have originated in England in 1856, when a patent was taken out for a breathable, cushioning material to line the inside of the fashionable top hats of the day. It was later used as packing material and for shipping boxes.
• Who named "danbōru": In Japan, in 1909, Teijiro Inoue, who later founded Rengo Co., Ltd., succeeded in producing corrugated board domestically and named it "danbōru" because its cross-section looks like steps ("dan") of board ("bōru").

Why Paper Boxes Are So Strong

Paper boxes can hold heavy loads thanks to the way they are built.

• The wavy medium: Corrugated board sandwiches a wavy "medium" between two flat sheets (liners). The waves act like columns that resist pressure from above, and the air pockets between them work as a cushion against shocks.
• The craft of paper boxes: Folding paper boxes are made by die-cutting a single sheet of paperboard, then folding and assembling it. Glue-free designs and easy-open features show the skill that goes into their design.

Box Trivia

• A recycling champion: According to the Corrugated Recycling Promotion Council (段ボールリサイクル協議会), Japan's recovery rate for corrugated board has stayed at a high level of 95% or more. Used cardboard is turned back into raw material for new cardboard.
• Boxes in games, too: August 5th is also "BOXBOY! Day," named after a game by HAL Laboratory. Boxes are popular as a theme for play as well.
• Cardboard beds in shelters: Evacuation shelters sometimes use beds made of cardboard. They keep people off the cold, dusty floor and make it easier to stand up, which has made them a common way to ease life in shelters.
• "Hakoiri musume" (a "boxed daughter"): A Japanese expression for a carefully sheltered daughter, said to liken her to a treasured item kept safely in a box.

Ideas for Box Day

• Take a close look at boxes for sweets or cosmetics and look for clever touches in how they open and fold.
• Check the recycling mark on cardboard and put it out as a recyclable according to local rules.
• Gather favorite letters or keepsakes into a nice paper box.
• Try a cardboard craft project with children.

Paper Boxes That Protect and Deliver What Matters

August 5th is a day to notice the boxes that wrap our gifts, carry our parcels far away, and protect the things in our daily lives. Whether it is corrugated board, which began as a top-hat lining, or a folding box assembled from a single sheet of paperboard, paper boxes are light, strong, and can be turned back into paper after use. Next time you open a box, take a moment to notice its shape and design.