Diana Farah

DUBAI: The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Dubai-based store b8ta’s collaboration is bringing rarely seen products to the UAE, giving customers a chance to explore handcrafted goods until the end of February.

One of those products is the Hinoki Bento Box, which has antibacterial properties. The box is light and works on killing any leftover bacteria that could be lingering due to foods or other things stored in the box.

The seal of the bento box also comes in six different colors, so that customers can identify one bento box from another quickly. The exterior of the box comes in light beige color, a natural color of wood.

The other product that stands out at JETRO and b8ta’s collaboration was voted the one of Most Attractive Japanese Souvenirs in 2011.

It is a set of three makeup brushes for powder, eyeshadow and lip color, rolled into a kimono case in the ‘KonMari’ style. The brushes were made in Hiroshima in the town of Kumano, the largest brush manufacturing area in Japan.

The brushes are made individually by hand, by skilled artisans using materials carefully selected.

Only highly trained workers are able to create these brushes. The hair from the tip of Kumano-fude brushes is never cut with scissors and the natural hair is kept intact.

The products are available at the b8ta store until the end of February.