furniture– tag –

Today, let’s take a gently enthusiastic—occasionally cheeky—stroll through one of Tokyo’s eternal design icons: Spiral, the multi-purpose cultural complex in Omotesandō. Opened in 1985 and turning 40 in 2025, it somehow refuses to age. Y...

Today, we’re taking you on a casual, slightly cheeky stroll through one of Tokyo’s most inventive design hangouts: Tokyo Midtown Design Hub (TMDH). Imagine stepping into a building that gives a knowing wink to both your left-brain archit...

【】 When you hear Suntory, you probably think whisky on the rocks, highball cans from the konbini, or maybe that jingle that somehow gets stuck in your head for days. But plot twist: Suntory also runs a museum. Yep, a museum, and not ju...

【】 Step out of Omotesando Station and you’re ready for fashion runways and overpriced lattes. But walk for ten minutes, and—plot twist—you’re suddenly in a Zen bubble. Welcome to the Nezu Museum, where Tokyo’s chaos politely takes a se...

Harajuku’s legendary Kawaii Monster Café (2015–2021) is clawing its way back from the neon grave, only this time it evolved into KAWAII MONSTER LAND (KML)—a full-on technicolor amusement park opening Winter 2025. Picture this: a candy-sh...

Have you ever heard of “Hebocon?” It’s a robot contest held annually in Japan. The name comes from the Japanese word “heboi,” which can be loosely translated to “clumsy,” “poorly made,” or “incompetent.” It’s a slang term used to describ...

【】 Welcome to the 21st century of food, where eating isn’t just about filling your stomach—it’s about saving the planet, questioning the meaning of life, and, most importantly, getting that perfect Instagram shot. Let’s be real: the wo...

Why do we seek fictional fear? Because that emotion overwhelms the rational knowledge of whether the threat is real (unlike sadness, which is easily dismissed). This explains the difference between Hollywood and J-Horror. Hollywood gives us physical terror—monsters that bite and claw. J-Horror, exemplified by The Ring, gives us psychological anxiety—the silent evil that crawls out of a video cassette, breaching the reality of our everyday life. This unique Japanese trait—finding a small dose of the extraordinary in the ordinary (like going to a public bath)—is what makes the horror so pervasive. Our furniture aims for a similar, though less scary, effect: making your everyday activities a little more special.

I begin by sharing my "romantic secret"—that snow-lit Hokkaido nights glowed orange—a secret quickly debunked by my wife's superior knowledge. This orange glow, caused by sodium lamps, is now disappearing due to energy-saving LEDs. I lament this because the lights attracted stag beetles, which were easily collected near acorn trees (Oak)—the same wood we use for our furniture. This Hokkaido Oak shares another legacy: it provides the essential cask material for some of the world's finest Japanese Whisky. The light may be gone, but the resilience of the acorn tree quietly connects the past, fine whisky, and our furniture.

【Have you been to roadside stations in Japan?】 This is one of the basics to enjoy a road trip in Japan, especially in Hokkaido: Make the best use of roadside stations. This transport infrastructure was born in around 1990. It's like re...