Founded in 1959, Tsubokawa Box has been engaged in the production of cardboard packing boxes. Driven by the desire to create something useful for people following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the cardboard pillow was developed based on the experiences of the disaster victims living in evacuation centers. In listening to the stories of the evacuees, the company came up with the idea of making pillows from cardboard in response to the inconvenience of sleeping without a pillow. During the development of the product, the company actively participated in local disaster drills and had the prototypes tested by people of all ages and genders to make improvements. Finally, the cardboard pillow designed to cushion and conform to the neck without sinking excessively was brough to life with the hope that everyone from small children to adults at the shelters can get some rest.
The company has donated 50 cardboard pillows to Mabi-cho in Okayama Prefecture which was severely damaged by the heavy rain in western Japan as well as 100 pillows to vicinal evacuations centers when powerful Typhoon No. 19 struck in 2019. The pillow was appreciated by the people who actually used it, with comments including, “I was using a bag or a blanket instead of a pillow or even spelt on my arm, so the cardboard pillow really helped me sleep. It was more comfortable than I had expected.” The pillow can be purchased separately as a single item or as a set containing some emergency supplies.