nature– tag –

The ball pit is a classic Japanese childhood memory, especially from the old rooftop department store playgrounds. We created an elevated version using high-quality hardwood waste from our furniture production. Here is the delightful irony: The balls are imperfectly round to cut costs, but this inefficiency created an unexpected secondary effect—the irregular shapes grant the pit significantly higher fluidity, resulting in a superior play experience. While we aim for 100% wood utilization (joining pieces longer than 150 mm), the smallest offcuts remain a challenge. We seek ambitious consumers who see a sophisticated future for our beautiful, durable wooden balls after the kids "leave the nest."

【Bears start to live in deserted villages in Hokkaido】 This year, riverbeds and big parks with forests were often closed in our hometown. It was not because of the COVID but because of bears. There are two kinds of bears in Japan: brow...

【We are still dependent on wood】 The "wood shock" has still cast a big shadow over our industry. As many of you know, it's one of the social problems caused by the COVID. As more people tend to work remotely at home, the demand of hous...

Which season do you like best? My favorite is autumn. After the extremely hot days of summer, everything is dyed in red, like wearing makeup. Of course, the autumn leaves soon wither, but their short lives make the autumn scenery look mo...

I think one of the best things about living in Asahikawa city in Hokkaido is nature right next to us. Mountains, rivers, forests, and the vast sky always enrich my body and soul. Daisetsuzan National Park is a prime example. The native H...

In the early spring of Hokkaido, when all living things come back to life, I drove a car down a country road and happened to see two cranes. They, without being afraid of me pulling over and other cars passing by, seemed to wait for some...

People who like camping will say “It’s for extraordinary experiences,” but what people actually do in camping are boiled down to super-ordinary things, like preparing meal, eating, clearing up after meal, and sleeping. I know it’s important to do such everyday routines in nature.

Sapporo in September, completely different from the main land of Japan where people still suffer from lingering summer heat. The capital city of Hokkaido has a population of two million, but has such a big natural park in the center of t...

【Things going down to posterity】 Hokkaido, this northernmost island of Japan, is getting deserted. In rural areas (Hokkaido itself can be said a rural area in Japan, though), you can see abandoned and collapsing houses everywhere. Hous...

【Zombies VS Aliens】 As believing I'm not the only one, I feel scared of zombie movies but not of Aliens, Predators, etc. Indeed, all those movies are same in terms that many people are eaten or just killed, though. I had always wondere...