muji, moving and storage, and more muji

since i am moving to a new apartment in a few weeks (not far, just one stop on the JR train or a rather long walk), i have given myself permission to shop for new home/storage products. as i am going to be here for one more year, i was looking for something that could double as moving boxes and storage. it should come as know surprise that after extensive comparison shopping, MUJI was the winner.
plastic storage solutions (above) and cardboard, wicker, and fabric (below).
i'm going to get some nifty collapsible plastic boxes soon, but first i picked up the brilliant invention that is a modular cardboard box drawer system. you can see them in the bottom photo, on the left side.

here's how the boxes work:
they come flat (on the bottom shelf of the above photo). one piece of sturdy cardboard for the drawer, and one piece for the box that holds it.
and there are instructions (excellent, detailed, visual):

there's also a square metal loop to reinforce the opening of the box. and about 5 minutes later i have a working drawer.
in a study box that is fairly large (20 x 40 x65 cm) and stackable on other boxes like itself.
i especially like this corner detail, with the recessed drawer pull finger ledge (sorry i'm not up on furniture terminology).

so i plan to uses boxes like these for the move, and then as my new modular furniture system. and maybe eventually to mail back to the states. imagine, if you could move and never pack or unpack your dresser. brilliant, muji, brilliant.

on a related note (and then i will stop, promise, or maybe make a new blog that's all about muji.....bwah ha ha) i went to the what i believe is the largest muji in kansai yesterday. after going to the one in umeda (its inside Loft) and being a little disappointed i stumbled across the mothershop, in namba. you can access it from Nan Nan Town (actually the first underground shopping area in japan, since 1957). it's in the same building as tower records, a real one two punch to the wallet. 5 floors of goodness, with an entire restaurant in the subbasement. ahhhh.