2021– date –

【Degeneration of smelling ability】 One day at a restaurant with my wife, I was finishing off lunch with crème brûlée, a kind of custard pudding. Hokkaido is the biggest milk production area in Japan, and best in the quality of dairy pr...

TDoes a shared inferiority complex shape a regional soul? I argue that Hokkaido people—who often view the mainland as the 'better' Japan—have historically carried the Complex of the Frontier. I trace the moment this complex found catharsis: the 2004 high school baseball victory. This shift created a unique Hokkaido Humility—a grounded flexibility that defines our local spirit and is reflected in the open-mindedness of our furniture craftspeople.

【A world without lies】 How many lies did you tell yesterday? It is said that we lie more than 200 times a day, no worries. "The innovation of lying" is the title of a comedy movie, not new but more than 10 years ago. The movie really w...

If Totoro looked like a human, he’d be the star of a horror movie. This article explores the "Uncanny Valley"—the psychological dip where "almost human" becomes "terrifying." Learn why we fear zombies and how organic furniture design avoids the "creepy" factor to create true comfort.

What makes Sadō (tea ceremony) a profound ritual rather than just drinking tea? I argue that the merchant who formalized it was a genius to elevate a simple daily routine. This leads to the Zen Paradox: the spiritual core of mindfulness that balances objective observation (seeing a dirty rock as it is) with imaginative emptiness (seeing a whole garden in a single flower). We hope this Zen spirit will make you see expansive beauty in the simplicity of our furniture.

I once thought I was a genius for shooting BB holes into my mother's Beatles records. I was wrong. Join me as I deconstruct Nirvana’s "forbidden" destruction of rock, argue why cave-painting Neanderthals were the original punks, and explain why at CondeHouse, we believe that staying "Pre-Nirvana" in our commitment to quality is the most radical thing we can do.

【Free from desire for possesions?】 A house surrounded by a white picket fence, a SUV, two kids, a dog, and a stable job. Many people once believed they were essential components of a dream life. Now, the times have changed, and the era...

Why are Japanese people addicted to cherry blossoms even when the petals are falling? I explore the national aesthetic that finds beauty in the transient and imperfect, connecting it to the popularity of decaying ruins and our vulnerability to natural disasters. This philosophy—Wabi-Sabi—teaches us to cherish a single petal in a puddle over a perfect bloom. I conclude by explaining how this spirit is applied to our wooden furniture, where uneven character and aging are, in fact, the design.

Ambiguity is a necessary evil—a survival mechanism. We explore the theory that Japanese ambiguity is genetic (linked to S-alleles of the serotonin transporter). Discover the Backlash Wisdom: Ambiguity is not a failing, but a necessary cultural cushion—just like the intentional 'play' in a wooden furniture joint that keeps the whole structure from tearing itself apart.

In the 90s, the only rival for a GT-R was another GT-R. Explore the "American Graffiti" days of Hokkaido's streets and why our past chairman’s defiance of marketing reflects the beautiful, irrational soul of human craftsmanship.