A microwave-safe wooden rice container made from Nara's Yoshino cedar using Kagawa's traditional craft technique "Sanuki Okedaru" — "KINOKA | The Scent of Wood" — has launched on Makuake, a crowdfunding platform. Cradle emeri LLC, the company behind Äkta, a brand that develops and delivers products targeting people in their 40s and beyond who seek a richer lifestyle, has started early sales of "KINOKA | The Scent of Wood," a wooden rice container compatible with microwave ovens, on the crowdfunding platform Makuake, beginning June 29, 2026 (Mon). Each piece is handcrafted by a bucket-making artisan with 70 years of heritage, using Yoshino cedar from Nara Prefecture. Cooked rice can be stored in it overnight, then warmed the next day — container and all — in the microwave, restoring it to fluffy, freshly-cooked quality where even the natural sweetness of the rice becomes apparent. Furthermore, by soaking the container in water and adding ingredients, it enables steaming in the microwave in just minutes — easier than using a traditional bamboo steamer. One container serves multiple purposes: storage, reheating, and steaming. Compact enough to double as a lunchbox. This is a new wooden kitchen tool where traditional bucket-making craftsmanship has evolved for modern life. Strong launch: Surpasses 1 million yen in crowdfunding within 2 hours "KINOKA | The Scent of Wood" surpassed 1 million yen in support within approximately two hours of launch on June 29, 2026 (Mon). The lowest-tier reward, offered at a special price for 24 hours only (limited to 70 units), sold out on the same day. The novel concept of a microwave-safe wooden container has drawn widespread attention. Heartwarming messages of support arrive early From day one, numerous encouraging comments have poured in. Here are some examples: "I'm amazed that technology has made it possible to reheat rice in a wooden container using a microwave — something I thought impossible. I've always been dissatisfied with how