Hokusai Inspires a New Form of Cardboard Recycling at Osaka Expo

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A small company in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, has turned ordinary packaging into a canvas for art, including woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai. Yamamoto Sadao Shoten, a packaging materials firm based in Kita Ward, has developed "art cardboard" printed with vivid reproductions of famous works. The Osaka-Kansai Expo selected their creation for a virtual exhibition.

By combining their uniquely designed, easy-to-dispose-of cardboard with striking artwork, they've transformed a utilitarian product into something visually and emotionally engaging.

Despite having only three employees, including third-generation president Kazuhiro Yamamoto (44), the company is driven by a bold ambition to leave behind a lasting legacy. Founded in 1946 by Yamamoto's grandfather, Sadao, the business continues to supply cardboard and cushioning materials to e-commerce firms and other clients.

A Smarter Way to Recycle

When Kazuhiro Yamamoto took over as president seven years ago, he set out to solve a common annoyance. That is, how to neatly dispose of collapsed cardboard boxes without having to tie them up with string. His solution was a cleverly engineered design. When one folds this box a certain way, it stands upright on its own. This allows it to serve as a container for other discarded cardboard.

*An art cardboard box printed with one of Hokusai’s masterpieces. (Provided by Yamamoto Sadao Shoten)*

One version of this innovative box features a print of a Hokusai masterpiece. What looks like a standard cardboard box transforms into a self-standing unit that doubles as storage. Light enough to carry with one hand, the product, named Smapoi, received both a patent and a trademark. Sakai City officially certified it under its 2022 venture procurement accreditation program.

Art, Expo, and Environmental Vision

While preparing for Expo 2025, the team had a flash of inspiration: to feature the iconic works of Katsushika Hokusai, whose art appeared at the 1867 Paris Expo and left a profound impact on painters like Van Gogh.

They chose to print pieces like The Great Wave off Kanagawa on the Smapoi units, framing it as "a message to the world." Expo organizers selected it for inclusion in the virtual Healthcare Pavilion, which showcases outstanding technologies from small and medium-sized enterprises across Japan.

Despite its ingenuity, Smapoi has yet to reach the general market. One of the main hurdles is regulatory. Many municipalities still require cardboard waste to be bundled with string, making Smapoi's string-free design incompatible with current disposal guidelines.

*Kazuhiro Yamamoto holding an art cardboard box. Kita Ward, Sakai City (©Sankei by Kenji Nakano)*

Even so, the company continues to promote it as an eco-conscious alternative, one that reduces reliance on plastic string and contributes to cutting down plastic waste.

Looking ahead, the team also hopes to register their "art cardboard" as a return gift under Sakai City's furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) program. "I want people to remember this as something that made its debut at the Expo," Yamamoto says. "Something that lives on as a legacy."