I'm paying a few hundred dollars for a knife, why don't I get any fancy packaging?

Handcrafted Japanese chef knives are typically made in a small workshop in the rural area of Japan, operated by a family for generations with skills passed down from father to son. They are not marketers, and you are paying for the honest quality, craftsmanship and tradition of the blade, rather than a fancy box. Some blacksmiths would put some efforts into a relatively nicer looking cardboard or wood box, but they are never anything too fancy. It doesn't mean these boxes are cheap though. They are typically handmade using cardboards with traditional Japanese paper (wa paper) cover. 

Generally speaking, higher volume factory-made knives in Japan have better looking (not necessarily more costly) packagings. But still, they are nothing compared with the fancy packaging you'll find on fake Japanese knives. No, you won't get a fancy box with hinge and clutch. You won't get a gold embossed "certificate of authenticity". There aren't any fancy color printed pamphlets. Those are probably the things you'll get when you buy a fake Japanese knife. 

When you buy a Japanese chef knife, you should never let the packaging influence your purchase decision. Fancy packaging, which can be made at very low cost by fake Japanese knife scammers, should never be a reason for you to buy a knife.