【Reading】おかもち

【English Name】Okamochi

An okamochi is a lidded box-shaped container used to transport food and tableware. Originally it was used as a tool for delivering meals during farm work such as rice planting and harvesting, but today it is widely known mainly as a container for food delivery (demae).

The basic structure has long handles spanning both side faces of the box, joined at the top into a single carrying handle. In the type with a lid on the front of the box, a mechanism called "kendon" is used that opens and closes by sliding up and down, which is why it also has the alternative name "kendon-bako." The material was traditionally mainly wood, but in modern times many are made of aluminum alloy.

It is an indispensable tool for the deliveries of restaurants such as sushi shops, and in the past the sight of someone delivering while carrying an okamochi in one hand on a motorcycle or bicycle was a daily one. However, because of the danger of one-handed driving, in the late 1950s a dedicated stand with springs and air cushions called a "demae-ki" was invented, and the method of fixing it to a vehicle for transport became mainstream.

There are several theories about the origin of the name, with multiple etymologies coexisting, including "oka" meaning a small hill, "oka" (small place) meaning beside, and a corruption of "hoka" (outside) meaning away from home.