Matsumoto Furniture is one of Japan’s leading furniture production centers, developed primarily in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Known for its warm designs that utilize the natural texture of wood and reliable craftsmanship by skilled artisans, it has earned high praise from furniture enthusiasts nationwide.
Furniture-making that fuses traditional woodworking techniques with contemporary design sensibilities attracts attention not only domestically but internationally as well.
This article provides a detailed explanation of Matsumoto Furniture’s history, characteristics, representative workshops, and the enduring appeal that has kept it beloved for generations.
Table of Contents
What is Matsumoto Furniture? – Master Furniture Culture Nurtured by the Woodworking City of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture
Matsumoto Furniture refers to one of Japan’s premier wooden furniture brands developed primarily in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, known for furniture that combines the warmth of handcraftsmanship with practical beauty. Matsumoto has long prospered as a castle town, and woodworking culture developed against the backdrop of abundant timber resources from the surrounding mountains.
After World War II, it became nationally known as “Matsumoto Mingei Furniture,” continuing the tradition of creating sturdy and beautiful furniture using solid wood. Its characteristic is not mere mass production but “living furniture” that accompanies the user’s lifestyle and gains character with years of use. Matsumoto Furniture remains highly valued today as an embodiment of Japan’s craft spirit.
Origins and History of Matsumoto Furniture – Woodworking Heritage Developed from a Castle Town
The origins of Matsumoto Furniture trace back to the late Azuchi-Momoyama period (late 16th century) when a castle town was formed with the construction of Matsumoto Castle. In the Matsumoto City area, under favorable conditions for furniture-making including abundant timber and dry climate, many woodworkers and joinery (sashimono) craftsmen resided, producing chests, boxes, and architectural fittings.
During the mid-Edo period (18th century), demand for furniture expanded among common people, and Matsumoto Furniture developed in earnest as a regional industry. By the late Taisho period (1920s), it prospered as Japan’s premier Japanese-style furniture production center, boasting one of the nation’s highest production volumes.
However, after World War II, Matsumoto Furniture rapidly declined due to social changes, facing a crisis threatening the industry’s survival. At this time, at the strong urging of Yanagi Muneyoshi, founder of the Mingei Movement who lamented this decline, Ikeda Sanshiro began producing Matsumoto Mingei Furniture in 1948, marking the starting point for Matsumoto Furniture’s revival that continues today.
Ikeda Sanshiro, introduced by Yanagi Muneyoshi, welcomed Yasukawa Keiichi (first director of Toyama Folk Craft Museum) as an instructor and requested Matsumoto’s woodworking furniture craftsmen, who had become unemployed due to postwar chaos, to create Western-style furniture. From this period, Yanagi Muneyoshi began visiting Matsumoto every summer, and distinguished figures of the Mingei Movement including Hamada Shoji, Kawai Kanjiro, and Bernard Leach visited Matsumoto, cooperating in production guidance and establishing the foundation of Matsumoto Mingei Furniture.
The established design philosophy and technical system became the foundation of the current Matsumoto Furniture brand, and in 1975, it was designated as a “Traditional Craft” by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (then the Ministry of International Trade and Industry). Matsumoto Furniture, which fuses tradition with lifestyle design, is valued as a successful example of regional craft industry.
Design Philosophy that Brings Out Wood’s Beauty – Harmony of Function and Design
The design philosophy of Matsumoto Furniture lies in “bringing out the material.” It is characterized by refined forms that eliminate excessive decoration, maximizing the natural grain and texture of domestic solid wood materials including primarily Mizume-zakura (Japanese cherry birch).
Craftsmen carefully hand-finish each piece, selecting optimal processing methods while assessing wood type and dryness level.
Furthermore, to achieve both strength and beauty, traditional joinery techniques such as “hozo-gumi” (mortise and tenon joints) and “ari-gumi” (dovetail joints) are utilized, including complex and precise assembly techniques unique to Matsumoto Furniture like “chigai-dotsuki-tome-hozo-sashi-shachisen-tsugi,” commonly called “shachi-dome.”
This achieves sturdy construction without relying on nails or metal fittings. The resulting furniture is simple yet warm, doesn’t warp even after years of use, and possesses durability allowing repair through disassembly and reassembly.
“With regular lacquer finishing requiring 8 coats and urushi finishing requiring 13 or more coats carefully layered over time,” the finish deepens with use. The fusion of functionality and aesthetic consciousness is precisely why Matsumoto Furniture is supported domestically and internationally.
Inherited Craftsmanship and Regional Branding – Development into “Matsumoto Mingei Furniture”
What spread the name of Matsumoto Furniture nationwide was “Matsumoto Mingei Furniture,” which began producing folk craft furniture in 1948 (Showa 23) by founder Ikeda Sanshiro. Centered on Ikeda Sanshiro, Bernard Leach visited in 1953 (Showa 28) and provided production guidance for English Windsor chairs, establishing a unique style fusing Japanese joinery techniques, receiving high praise as furniture embodying “beauty of utility.”
Matsumoto Mingei Furniture is characterized by using carefully selected domestic broadleaf trees, primarily northeastern Japanese species including Mizume-zakura, with all processes done by hand. Craftsmen hone their skills over decades, and the appeal lies in the subtly different grain and texture even in identical designs.
Today, centered on the Matsumoto Furniture Craft Cooperative established in 1972 (Showa 47), multiple furniture workshops in the Matsumoto region collaborate, continuing production while preserving brand quality and philosophy.
Used in interiors of local hotels such as Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu, it also enjoys high domestic and international recognition. In 1957, it received orders from Rockefeller III and delivered several chairs to Rockefeller Center in New York, gaining overseas recognition. Matsumoto Furniture, progressing toward the future based on tradition, represents an ideal form of regional craft.
Characteristics and Appeal of Matsumoto Furniture
The appeal of Matsumoto Furniture lies in the reliability of handcraftsmanship and honesty of materials. It is characterized by forms utilizing solid wood texture, sturdy construction withstanding decades of use, and design wrapped in Japanese tranquility.
Refined forms eliminating ornate decoration naturally blend into both Japanese and Western-style rooms, creating quality living scenes. Additionally, the appeal of increasing luster and character with use, maintaining value as furniture passed down through generations through repeated repairs and refinishing.
Here, we’ll explore Matsumoto Furniture’s characteristics from three perspectives: materials, structural techniques, and design.
Carefully Selected Domestic Solid Wood – Warmth Created by Grain and Texture
Much of Matsumoto Furniture uses Mizume-zakura as the primary material, along with domestic broadleaf trees including oak (nara), horse chestnut (tochi), zelkova (keyaki), maple (kaede), and castor aralia (sen). These timbers excel in durability and beautiful grain, characterized by resistance to warping and cracking even with long-term furniture use.
Wood is processed while maintaining uniform moisture content through careful combination of natural and artificial drying.
Natural drying requires at least one year, with longer pieces piled for 5 or 10 years, then artificial drying for 70-80 hours reduces moisture content from 30% to 8-9%, followed by about one month of seasoning.
Particularly Mizume-zakura, the material symbolizing Matsumoto Furniture, has characteristic grain called “torafu” (tiger stripes) resembling tiger patterns, with fine-grained texture and subtle reddish tones providing deep tranquility.
Finishes use lacquer coating (8 coats for regular lacquer finishing, 13 or more coats for urushi finishing) and wiped lacquer, which unlike urethane coating, doesn’t prevent wood from breathing and increases luster, which is also appealing. Commitment to natural materials supports furniture-making that grows more beautiful with use.
Sturdy Construction Through Traditional Structural Techniques – Craftsmanship Supporting “Beauty of Utility”
Supporting Matsumoto Furniture’s sturdiness are traditional structures applying joinery techniques like “hozo-gumi” and “ari-gumi.”
These are techniques that interlock wood pieces without relying on metal fittings, achieving strength that withstands years of use.
For example, in chairs and tables, invisible ingenuity is applied to joints between legs and tops, finishing with structures calculated for force distribution.
It’s also characterized by minimal adhesive use and design naturally accommodating wood’s contraction and expansion.
Through accumulation of such traditional techniques, Matsumoto Furniture enables long-life design premised on “repairing for continued use.” This truly embodies the craftsmanship spirit of “beauty of utility.”
Universal Design and Harmony with Living – Inheriting Mingei Philosophy
Matsumoto Furniture’s design is based on Mingei Movement philosophy. The concept of “beauty of utility,” emphasizing practicality while possessing aesthetic sense, manifests in form.
Chairs and shelves have exquisite balance of straight and curved lines, with designs where structure itself becomes ornament. To highlight wood color and texture, painting and decoration are kept minimal, with the material’s presence quietly empowering spaces.
Therefore, it harmonizes regardless of Japanese or Western-style rooms, doesn’t age over years, but rather gains depth. This universality naturally blending into contemporary interiors is why Matsumoto Furniture is called “furniture beloved across generations.”
Representative Workshops and Popular Series of Matsumoto Furniture
Matsumoto Furniture’s appeal also lies in multiple regionally-rooted workshops each conducting unique furniture-making with their own philosophies and techniques. All advocate “handcrafted mass production,” delivering long-lasting furniture while maximizing wood’s individual characteristics.
Among them, “Matsumoto Mingei Furniture” and “atelier m4” are representative presences receiving high domestic and international recognition even among woodworking furniture workshops.
Each workshop fuses inherited tradition with contemporary sensibility, developing furniture series harmonizing with living spaces like living rooms and dining rooms. Here, we introduce two representative workshops and popular series symbolizing Matsumoto Furniture.
Matsumoto Mingei Furniture – Established Brand Inheriting Japanese Mingei Philosophy
Masterpieces including the “S-type Bureau” and writing bureau continue to be beloved for their unembellished forms and sturdy construction. All furniture is hand-finished by craftsmen, with wiped lacquer and lacquer coating adopted for finishing, increasing luster and depth with use.
Collected at Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Tokyo Komaba) founded in 1936 (Showa 11), the Matsumoto Mingei Lifestyle Museum houses excellent folk craft furniture including Matsumoto Mingei Furniture from Japan and abroad, used as a training ground for craftsmen.
In 1957, it received requests from Rockefeller III and delivered several chairs to New York’s Rockefeller Center, earning high international recognition as Japanese woodworking furniture, a brand symbolizing Matsumoto Furniture tradition.
atelier m4 – Woodworking Workshop Connecting Traditional Techniques and Contemporary Sensibility
Viewing entire furniture as one “mass,” it highlights structural beauty and material texture by accenting precise joint formations.
Using carefully selected domestic broadleaf trees including Shinshu-produced larch and Mizume-zakura, performing everything from wood cutting to assembly, chamfering, and finishing by hand imbues each piece with craftsman’s breath.
Masterpieces include stool “Bridge” and dining table “Paddle” series, all characterized by natural finishes highlighting grain within proportions stripped of excess.
atelier m4 works are permanently displayed at “m4 Joto Studio” in Matsumoto City and exhibited at domestic and international design events and galleries.
Recently, it also handles residential projects through architect collaborations and commercial space fixture production, earning high recognition as a presence connecting traditional woodworking techniques with contemporary living spaces.
Production Process and Craftsman’s Dedication in Matsumoto Furniture
Matsumoto Furniture’s value lies not only in visual beauty but in the careful process from single wood piece to finished furniture.
Unlike mass production, craftsmen hand-finish each piece while assessing wood condition, so even identical models have subtly different grain and expression.
The production process goes through over ten stages from material selection through drying, sawing, assembly, polishing, painting, and finishing to completion. Throughout all stages, machines and human hands complement each other, achieving both precision and warmth, which characterizes Matsumoto Furniture. Here, we’ll look specifically at craftsman dedication from wood selection to completion.
From Wood Selection to Completion – Handcraft Process Invested in Each Piece
Matsumoto Furniture-making begins with wood selection.
Used wood combines natural and artificial drying after harvesting, preventing cracking and warping by uniforming moisture content.
Selecting the most suitable parts according to purpose while assessing grain direction, knot position, and coloring. This is a process requiring years of experience to judge.
Subsequently, sawn materials are joined using traditional techniques like hozo-gumi, enhancing structural strength.
Polishing uses multiple sandpaper types, paying attention even to corner treatment.
Painting and finishing adjust drying time seasonally, finally completing through glossing and inspection.
Taking several weeks to finish a single chair is not uncommon.
This process sparing neither time nor effort supports Matsumoto Furniture quality.
Fusion of Traditional Techniques and Modern Machinery – Balancing Precision and Warmth
In Matsumoto Furniture workshops, traditional hand tools and latest woodworking machinery coexist.
For example, CNC (computer-controlled) machines are used for precise hole processing and curved cutting, achieving uniform finishing.
Meanwhile, final finishing of end grain and joints is always done by craftsmen’s hands, leaving soft texture impossible for machines to produce. This “machinery + handwork” hybrid system balances efficiency and quality.
Additionally, some workshops have young craftsmen reconstructing traditional techniques while using 3D design software, creating new-era Matsumoto Furniture fusing craft and technology. This flexible attitude is one reason for maintaining appeal across generations.
Aesthetics in Painting and Finishing – Deep Luster Created by Wiped Lacquer and Oil
Painting and finishing, the final process of Matsumoto Furniture, is an important step determining furniture impression.
Representative is “wiped lacquer finishing.” Repeatedly painting and wiping off lacquer, layering thin coats many times creates transparent luster.
Also, oil finishing uses natural oil, protecting without blocking wood’s ducts, so grain’s three-dimensional effect and touch warmth remain. Craftsmen micro-adjust painting methods according to weather and humidity, finishing while naturally drying over several days.
Furniture completed this way shows different expressions depending on light direction, deepening with use. Even the painting process breathes with thoughts and aesthetic consciousness toward users.
Contemporary Value and International Expansion of Matsumoto Furniture
Matsumoto Furniture attracts attention not only as a domestic traditional craft but in international design scenes as well.
Because minimal beauty connecting to Nordic furniture fuses with solid wood warmth, it receives high support from overseas buyers and interior designers.
Additionally, as awareness of environmental consideration and sustainability rises, Matsumoto Furniture’s philosophy of providing products using natural materials meant for long use aligns with global trends.
Here, we’ll explore Matsumoto Furniture’s international value from “design,” “sustainability,” and “market expansion” perspectives.
Resonance with Nordic Design – International Recognition Brought by Simple Beauty
One reason Matsumoto Furniture is highly valued overseas is its design universality. Simple forms eliminating excessive decoration, composition emphasizing material texture, and design philosophy balancing practicality with aesthetics resonate with Nordic design.
In fact, Japanese minimal design attracts attention in the context of “Japandi” style (fusion of Japanese and Nordic interiors) currently gaining worldwide popularity, and Matsumoto Mingei Furniture’s philosophy aligns with this trend.
Furthermore, domestic examples of adoption in interiors by architects and hotel designers are increasing, establishing position as a design brand transcending traditional craft domains. Matsumoto Furniture’s quiet beauty is “universal design” resonating with global values.
Sustainable Material Circulation and Long-Life Design
Matsumoto Furniture workshops emphasize sustainable wood use. Systems minimize environmental burden by minimizing harvested trees and reusing scrap wood for small item production and repair parts.
Furthermore, furniture itself is designed premised on “repairing for long use,” with ingenious screw and joint structures enabling easy refinishing and part replacement. This is a concept contrasting with mass-consumption interior products, resonating in overseas markets with high interest in sustainable lifestyles.
The concept that furniture is not “disposable” but an object to “nurture” is philosophy supporting Matsumoto Furniture’s foundation.
Inbound Demand and Export Expansion – Growth as Craft Brand
This creates value as “experiential craft tourism” beyond mere product sales. Furthermore, exports expand through overseas exhibitions and online sales. Particularly demand is rising in America, Nordic countries, and Singapore.
Domestically, cultural property restoration and luxury accommodation interior adoption are progressing, and Matsumoto Furniture is achieving growth into a comprehensive design brand transcending regional craft frameworks.
Conclusion
Matsumoto Furniture is representative Japanese furniture culture fusing woodworking tradition rooted in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, with contemporary design sensibility. Handcraftsmanship utilizing solid wood texture, traditional structural techniques, and material appeal that grows more beautiful over time attract many people.
The spirit of “beauty of utility” nurtured against Mingei philosophy background resonates today with sustainable values and international design trends, earning high recognition on the world stage. Matsumoto Furniture, as crystallization of craftsmanship and regional culture, will continue as “living craft” breathing within lifestyles.
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