Kobako (“little boxes”) are often adorned with harmonious decors and sceneries inspired by Japanese fauna and flora. Japanese artists play with shapes and materials with accuracy and thoroughness akin to silverware.

The representation of lake landscapes bordered by mountains is frequent: Japan is an island country, but also mountainous. Very steep, located in the center of each island, mountains isolate Japanese landscapes. Most regions have their own symbolic and revered mountain, and climbing the mountains is a pilgrimage. It is thus usual to represent mountains giving way to small plains where the inhabitants dispute the ground with the rice fields and the lakes.