1A container, often with a lid, used to hold or store things; a box or case.
プレゼントをきれいな箱に入れて渡した。
I put the present in a nice box and gave it to them.
引っ越しの荷物を箱にまとめた。
I packed my moving belongings into boxes.
この箱には昔のアルバムが入っている。
This box contains old photo albums.
箱を開けたら、中にお菓子が入っていた。
When I opened the box, there were sweets inside.
2A colloquial way of referring to a train car or the cargo compartment of a vehicle.
先頭の箱に乗ると降りるのが早い。
If you ride in the front car, you can get off more quickly.
貨物列車の箱がずっと連なっていた。
The freight cars kept lining up one after another.
3A case for storing a shamisen, or — in performers' jargon — the shamisen itself.
稽古の後、三味線を箱にしまった。
After practice, I put the shamisen away in its case.
師匠の箱は使い込まれて艶が出ている。
The master's shamisen case has been used so much it has a nice sheen.
4Written colloquially as 'ハコ', a jargon term (as in 'hakomono') for large public facilities or halls.
地方自治体が新しいハコを作る計画を発表した。
The local government announced plans to build a new public facility.
「箱物行政」という言葉には批判的な意味も含まれる。
The term 'hakomono administration' carries a critical connotation.
5An archaic term for a man employed to carry a geisha's shamisen; obsolete today.
昔は「箱」と呼ばれる、三味線を運ぶ仕事の人がいた。
In the past, there were people called 'hako' whose job was to carry shamisen.
6An archaic meaning referring to feces or a receptacle for human waste; not used in modern Japanese.
7A counter used for boxed items, as in 一箱 (one box) or 二箱 (two boxes).
ビールを一箱注文した。
I ordered a case (box) of beer.
りんごを二箱もらった。
I received two boxes of apples.
ティッシュを三箱買っておいた。
I bought three boxes of tissues in advance.