Preserving the centuries-old techniques of Matsumoto’s skilled craftsmen, find exquisite timber furniture astray of modern tastes and rather emphasising the timelessness of Japanese folk art and crafts.

Inspired by a visit and subsequent advice from Soetsu Yanagi, the founder of Japan’s Folk Art Movement in the mid-century, Matsumoto Mingei Kagu’s owner Sanshiro Ikeda decided to open a furniture store in Matsumoto supporting the region’s skilled woodworkers and declining woodworking industry through expressing the traditions of the mingei folk art style in the production of Western furniture. As Soetsu Yanagi himself has said, while there are many things machines cannot create, there are also certain items that man would be hard-pressed to produce without them. From 1948 to today, the store still stands and continues to produce the nostalgic and sophisticated pieces.

“The essence of Matsumoto folk art furniture is the timeless connection between nature and man – a connection bridged by furniture that retains its natural characteristics while appealing to the needs and comforts of those who use it.”

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Text: Joanna Kawecki
Images: as credited