Matsunaga Furniture Paintings

Matsunaga Furniture Paintings, run by Shiro Matsunaga, a 38-year veteran in furniture manufacturing, designs and crafts traditional Japanese wood furniture under “Kuon” brand in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area known as “Suruga” is one of the biggest furniture business regions in Japan. The company not only preserves the style and taste of traditional Japanese furniture, but also applies its own techniques in structure reinforcement and paintings to make its products more durable, beautiful and eco friendly. The quality of their products derives from the good deal of time it takes to manufacture them and the precision of experienced handicraftsmen.

Azusa Ueno – Ueshin Sekizai Ten

Azusa Ueno, a twenty something woman working in man-dominated field of traditional stone craft, runs a shop creating memorials, lanterns and architectural stones with her father in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture. Okazaki, historically one of the “big three” granite craftsmen towns in Japan, is also known as the birth town of Ieyasu Tokugawa, who unified the country in 1603 and initiated the 264-year-long Edo era. Ueno has been covered by media as a rising star in the traditional stone craftsmen industry. Since she was a little girl overlooking her father on his back, she has been learning stone-carving. In 2002, she won a bronze medal in Craftsmen Olympic in Japan.

Shuhei Ando - Ando, Co., Ltd.

Ando Co.,Ltd. is located in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture famous for its port, one of the first two in Japan opened to the US in 1854. The company, run by Ando and his son creates wood signs in a wide variety of designs and sizes for businesses throughout Japan. Shuhei Ando, the son, once studied wood-crafting in North Carolina for half a year and in Sweden and the UK for a couple of months to develop his skills. He has been fascinated with traditional Japanese merchant signs and has tried to preserve the beauty of old industrial designs through his replications. Shuhei himself is now opening his old Japanese craftsmanship to the US.

Masayoshi Inc.

Masayoshi, Inc. in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture is a leading manufacturer and distributor of Oni Kawara, a piece of daemon shaped clay mounted on the top (or edges) of a tiled roof in traditional Japanese architecture. The area, also called “Sanshu,” the old name for the area, is known as one of the “big three” roof tile industry towns in Japan. Because of its handcrafted finish, manufacturing Oni Kawara requires precision and artistic craftsmanship. The company, run by Enzaburo Kamiya, president for 30 years, has fulfilled the requirement following its mottos, “Sensitivity” and “Skills.” Masayoshi also restores old Oni Kawara shipped from customers throughout Japan who have heard of the company’s reputation.

Ikehiko Corporation

Ikehiko Corporation in Mizuma, Fukuoka Prefecture is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of Igusa (rush grass) products in Japan. Igusa is a material for tatami, the traditional Japanese straw mat flooring, but is also seen these days in other home furnishing products such as rugs and pillows. Yoshinori Inoguchi, the third generation president and an advocate of environment preservation, has been running the company since 1963. The company has developed and presented a wide variety of products for decades using its expertise in Igusa. These days Ikehiko focuses on a different side of Igusa, its natural “air-purification” capability and continues to develop “eco” friendly products through the Japanese traditional material.

Suien Wada - Shorakuan

Shorakuan is run by Suien Wada, a Japanese “Shodo,” calligraphy, artist residing in Quebec, Canada. She was born in Japan and started learning calligraphy when she was 6-year old under a Shodo master, Shuho Yamanaka. She has also previously lived in France where she started opening her exhibits for her calligraphy works. She moved to Canada and founded Shorakuan in 2000. She maintains what she has learned from the master, but also tries to distinguish herself by pursuing “Enagy”, “Beauty” and “Elegance.” She enjoys calligraphy every day. This is no surprise as her shop’s name, Shorakuan, suggests “hermitage to enjoy calligraphy.”