The inro is a container made up of tiers. Japanese men used them because the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets. From the late 1500s onwards, Japanese men wore the inro suspended from their sash by a silk cord and a netsuke (toggle). They originally used it to hold their owner's seal and ink or a supply of medicines. However, inro rapidly became costly fashion accessories of little or no practical use. Most inro are rectangular with gently curving sides.

Lacquer was most commonly used in the manufacture of inro since it was highly suitable for storing medicines. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus vernicifera that grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material, probably wood and paper in this example. The craft of lacquering, as well as making inro bodies, is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive.

This inro is decorated with maple leaves and pine needles. Pine needles refer to a long life as well as the winter since the pine is one of the few trees that does not shed its leaves or needles at this time. Maple leaves, by contrast, refer to the autumn. It is likely that this inro was intended to be worn in the autumn and winter months.