Washika Dining Chair

The Washika Dining Chair is made from solid hinoki in our own workshop in Higashiyoshino.

It began with a question we kept returning to in the studio: what would Japan have made, if no one had ever shown it what a chair should be? Following that question led us into traditional Japanese joinery and the everyday practicalities of Japanese homes.

The result is a chair that challenges the way much of Japan’s wooden furniture is made today. Many contemporary designs pursue organic, exceptionally fine forms that can only be achieved through complex CNC machining. This concentrates production in a small number of specialised factories and favours hardwoods, largely imported, over the sugi and hinoki that grow in abundance here. Over time, it also means fewer young makers learn to build chairs by hand from domestic timber.

The Washika Dining Chair takes the opposite approach. It is made from domestic hinoki and can be built by a single craftsperson with basic training, using only hand tools if necessary.

It is a demonstration that Japanese furniture can be handmade from domestic timber and still be affordable.

Bespoke finishes and volume discounts are available on request.