The 7th TOKYO CRAFT ROOM project is the first collaboration between three companies. Designer Jin Kuramoto is joined by two manufacturers based in Hokkaido. One is CondeHouse, a wooden furniture manufacturer in Asahikawa City, and the other is SOMES SADDLE, a leather goods and harness manufacturer in Sunagawa City. They have collaborated with each other as designers and manufacturers in the past, but this time they came together through the TOKYO CRAFT ROOM project and began a dialogue about craftsmanship. The keyword is a new interpretation of “scraps.”
Wood and leather, two craftsmanship facing each other
Following Kuramoto’s call, two companies, CondeHouse and SOMES SADDLE, agreed to participate in this project. Kuramoto, who has been involved in design development in a wide variety of genres in Japan and abroad, from furniture, home appliances, and eyewear to automobiles, and has won numerous design awards, has never collaborated with two manufacturers in this way before (as of 2022). The impetus for the project came from a consultation with these two manufacturers, who had long been close friends, about a mutual problem they had been facing.
“Although CondeHouse and SOMES SADDLE are in different industries, wood and leather, they already had a friendship through their connection as neighboring manufacturers in Asahikawa and Sunagawa, Hokkaido, and have even collaborated on upholstering CondeHouse chairs with SOMES SADDLE leather. In the process, both companies asked each other, “What do you do with the scraps” that inevitably come out when making products? What can we do with them? They asked me to come up with a design that would give new value to the scraps. I was told about the project just as the TOKYO CRAFT ROOM project was starting, so I approached both companies if we could work together on this project as well. The main purpose of this project was to use the “scraps” that both companies have. And since TOKYO CRAFT ROOM to date has been a one-on-one effort between designers and artists or makers, I thought it would be an interesting spice to have the characters of these two companies join the project this time.”
Kuramoto’s proposal was agreed upon by both parties. A project team was immediately formed, and research on each of the materials and scraps began again. This is the first time TOKYO CRAFT ROOM has taken an approach directly related to maximizing the use of materials and solving issues in the industry. Regardless of the craftsmanship, how will the now-standard concept be elevated from the concept of “craft”?
Communicate the characteristics of natural materials
We accompanied Kuramoto to the CondeHouse factory. He had collaborated with CondeHouse, one of Japan’s leading wooden furniture makers and a driving force in Asahikawa, a leading woodworking region, in the design and development of “ EIGHT ‘ and ’ ONE,” and had visited the factory many times. The first thing he focused on during our inspection was how much scrap wood is produced and in what process.
Basically, the scraps from wooden furniture making are not wasted because they are ultimately used as fuel for the factory’s heating and drying rooms. However, the more furniture of the same specifications is made, the more scrap wood of the same shape and quantity is generated. Some of them have unique shapes or are not suitable for large pieces of furniture, but could still be utilized for small items. Kuramoto keeps this in mind and looks inside the containers of scrap wood placed in each section.
Next, we moved to Sunagawa to visit the SOMES SADDLE factory. The company is one of the few factories in the world that makes harnesses for both riding and horse racing, in addition to producing harnesses for the Imperial Household Agency. The company’s own brand of bags and small leather goods, made with the high technology of harness making, has stores in Hokkaido,Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
While observing how products are made from high quality cowhide leather and handcrafted by highly skilled craftsmen, we were all surprised by the presence of these scraps.The leather on the cow’s belly is soft and easily expands and contracts, so in the world of harness making, where safety standards are strict, only the stable leather on the back is used. Some of the leather from the belly is used as much as possible for bag parts etc., but most of it is disposed of as waste. From the perspective of this project, this seems like a waste, but it is also true that this is a manufacturing that could only be achieved by SOMES SADDLE, which pursues quality and technology. However, rather than disposing of them as waste, They set aside space to store these scraps, in the hope that they can be used for something someday.
After visiting the factories of both companies, Kuramoto’s attitude toward “scraps” seems to have changed drastically.
“Wood and animal leather are living things, and we want to use them up to the end because they are made from living things, but there is inevitably a part that is discarded. So I first visited the factory to see if I could use it for something. But then I realized that it was just left over and that it was still a very good material. You can’t call such a good material “scraps” anymore.”
Both CondeHouse and SOMES SADDLE have high expectations for this new project after Kuramoto’s visit.
We have finally taken a step forward in solving the longstanding issue of scrap wood. We would also like to think about how to incorporate the three characteristics of materials, design, and technology,” said Noriyoshi Someya, president of CondeHouse.
“We want to convey the beauty of natural materials and use them effectively. I think it is also important how we can launch the concept and story of this project with fresh ideas and technologies,” said Naohiro Someya, President of SOMES SADDLE.
After the research, the direction that the three companies are heading in has been determined. After this research, Mr. Kuramoto brought back a large amount of wood and leather scraps to work on the product concept and began to develop his ideas. A new craft with new value is about to be born, one that is made of scrap wood but is not scrap wood at all.
Jin Kuramoto
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1976. After working as an in-house designer for a home appliance manufacturer, he opened “JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO” in Meguro, Tokyo in 2008.
He is involved in design development in a wide range of genres, from furniture, home appliances, eyewear to automobiles, with an approach that conveys the concept and story of the project through clear, sculptural expression. He places emphasis on a practical development process in which he repeatedly experiments with function and structure while touching materials and ingredients directly, and his own “studio”, where prototyping is carried out, is always full of inspiration and discoveries. He has received numerous awards, including the iF Design Award, Good Design Award, and Red Dot Design Award. He was a judge for the Good Design Award from 2015 to 2017.
CondeHouse
Since its establishment in 1968, this wooden furniture brand has been producing beautiful, long-lasting tools for daily life in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, one of Japan’s leading furniture production regions. Working with designers from Japan and abroad, the company is committed to uncompromising product development. The brand’s design and manufacturing techniques are based on the aesthetic sensibilities nurtured by the nature of Hokkaido and Japanese culture, and are being disseminated throughout Japan and the rest of the world.
SOMES SADDLE
SOMES SADDLE is an equestrian and leather goods manufacturer headquartered in Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, Japan, since its establishment in 1964, the company has continued to produce a variety of leather goods, including bags, small leather goods, and interior goods, with a focus on saddle making, which is said to be the ultimate in leather handling techniques. The company’s saddles for horse racing are favored by many JRA jockeys, and it also supplied horse-drawn carriages for the enthronement of the Japanese emperors in Heisei and Reiwa. The company has many loyal customers for its leather goods made by applying harness-making techniques, and it also focuses on after-sales care, such as repairs.
