I meet Asahikawa furniture in the station, the hotel and the town.

Do you know Asahikawa furniture? There is history in more than 100 and it's famous for the good wood and the high designability which make one made in Hokkaido the center worldwide. I knew Asahikawa furniture by "Hoshino Resorts OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts". The Japan's first city tourist hotel where about 20 kinds 40 chairs of Asahikawa furniture is put at the lobby only at the seat.

I saw a seat in a hotel and got in touch with a memory of JR Asahikawa Station. The chair with the various color and shape equals premises in plenty, and everyone can use it casually. The original design by which escalator and around the stairs which lead to a home used a wood.

I know from the back, match of Asahikawa furniture industrial cooperative society by which this is called "Asahikawa furniture lounge". Smart interior using TAMO material made in Hokkaido is something to come near to Mr. architect's Naito kou. "Town of furniture and Asahikawa" but I know that there is a "Asahikawa design center" which can be sensed and have gone out to MICHIKUSA travel on the next day of a hotel stay.

There is Asahikawa design center for about 15 minutes by car from Asahikawa-shi Asahiyama-zoo. Born Asahikawa furniture center was remodeled substantially in 2017 and it was remodeled by the name as "Asahikawa design center" in 1980. The shop where furniture in Hokkaido Asahikawa area (Asahikawa-shi, Higashikawa-cho and Higashikagura-cho) and about 30 craft manufacturers keep the permanent booth here. The selection shop of juxtaposed eatery and miscellaneous goods is also fashionable.

Space excellent in quality like a furniture museum

Furniture seems to equal and be a museum in a row in space in 1000 tsubo. It starts from temporary exhibition on the 1st floor first focusing on an entrance of the wellhole to the 2nd floor, and leads to the permanent booth every furniture brand (about 30 companies of atelier and GAJIKAMUWAKUSU and others).

Last summer's temporary exhibition was "SAMAHYUGGE-gentle summer I spend at home."
Executive director Executive Director and Sugimoto keii of a managed Asahikawa furniture industrial cooperative society (Yoshimasa), SAN, "HYUGGE is a Danish word which means "warm and pleasant time and space". The proposition of the lifestyle to which I say "at the place where a home is big-hearted" being negative and without catching, to call a Corona misfortune and hibernation in home time "endurance" was performed with the theme of "HYUGGE" by Asahikawa furniture.", I speak.

Temporary exhibition from April 7, 2021 is entitled "Design Stories from IFDA Story of the living made with a designer." and a match of Asahikawa furniture in this 30 is introduced. There is an impression for an archive picture of wooden furniture design competition of the world scale which has started at 1990 as "international furniture design fair Asahikawa (IFDA)" in particular and a prize-winning work of successive generations.

The reason that the next generation grows into a furniture producing center

The background where Asahikawa was "town of furniture" was learned at Asahikawa design center.

It starts from Hokkaido Asahikawa where second city and Asahikawa-shi were established in 1890 (1890) village. The nature of the locality by which entourage are circled by grand Daxue Shan ancestry such as Asahidake, are blessed with water and have abundant timber resources. To the extent there was Kobiki place and Japanese oak timber made in Hokkaido was learned about as "Japanese oak" which takes pride in the quality of the world highest peak, and a precious wood city was held and exported from Otaru harbor to foreign countries. It was an entrepot of a good wood.

It was also tied with furniture industry to be located in the center of Hokkaido. The army seventh division was put during wartime, and the population as well as maintenance of a railroad and a town were increased, and demand in a building and a residence was increased, and a cabinetmaking trade was born one after another. Furniture has been just also expected of that rice making of a major industry was unstable by a poor crop by damage from cold weather as year-round industry.

Bridal furniture is so-called "box thing furniture", and a postwar rapid economic expansion period increases the sales. But a change in a lifestyle, a collapse of bubble economy and the disaster which is a housing furniture collapse by a big earthquake again will be a cause, and a concept to people's furniture changes. Built-in storage furniture by a house manufacturer spreads. And rise of cheap furniture of disposable judge. These days are the fixation charge and SABUSUKURENTARUSABISU which borrows furniture is the time when topics are collected.

While a change is desired, a tag is made with a domestic and abroad designer including the seat called "legged furniture" by Asahikawa furniture, and it's easy to use, and the manufacturing which has individuality of the designability emphasis which is beautiful and lasts long is being developed.

Mr. Sugimoto, "Wasn't Asahikawa furniture brand made strong in that educational support of a young handicraftsman was performed from early time?", I speak.

Because an overseas training program by support in the city is put into effect in 1963, and it's the Kandy house which represents the present Asahikawa furniture, Mr.* Nagahara jitsu and the young people in at that time learn manufacturing overseas, and I say that it was linked to evolution of Asahikawa furniture.

After that the history piled up by unity of officials and the people including establishment of the university and the college which learn furniture and the design, holding in international furniture design fair Asahikawa (IFDA) (1990-) and establishment of "BI built with Asahikawa furniture and charter" (2007), I have that, and, now. The fuss to a domestic wood, the forest conservation for it and the activity of tree-planting are also continued for a long time. (Reference and Yasuo Kawashima writing and editing "chair craftsman of one person per 100 years" new criticism kan)

At the hotel where a traveler and low Cal. are tied, "working, chair" Experience

The art event which turned the spotlight on autumn in 2020 and a chair of Asahikawa furniture was held in OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts. I go around the city restaurant using comment and Asahikawa furniture where the post in the lobby lounge "OMO Base (Travelers' Fun Lounge)" sits down, compares and chooses as a furniture craftsman with (Local guide) OMO Rangers, "Mr. neighborhood, Asahikawa furniture tour".

Mr. Takayuki Okubo of hotel Staff/staff member is one charmed by Asahikawa furniture.

"For example the form which makes this chair imagine Namae Dori as "yamanami (it doesn't stop,)" and a mountain ridge in a mountain is excellent. There was a factory in great outdoors which overlook Daxue Shan system, and even if everyone who works took it, the produced great master arts and crafts were nice. I became same with Guest/customer by an art event at this palace, too, and it was possible to hear the thought that I overflow to manufacturing of a furniture craftsman, and I was moved. It was assumption outside that you could buy Asahikawa furniture in Guest/customer of participation after an event, it's last year's good memory for which it was often difficult to be in a Corona misfortune,", and, I speak.

Autumn in 2021 also schedules Asahikawa furniture plan in OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts. "Asahikawa design week" is held centering on Asahikawa design center in June every year in front of it. Fun factory tour and workshop are scheduled by the other travelers by whom each company new announcement and a business discussion are performed, too.

A word of Mr. Sugimoto who makes the furniture a bread-and-butter job is remembered.
"For me, with furniture? Furniture is one of a close tool. Is the heart near usual the partner in a life who has peace of mind? It's the reliable existence child's charge can also take over by treating it and handling it importantly.".

In the existence time I need together should love as Chinese yam. The furniture which makes house time comfortable. When I'll come by a producing center and sense by a hotel in this place and a store, and it's a friend of a life by evaluation, I think there is no wonderful of the travel like this. "Town of furniture and Asahikawa" all means and going out, please!

Asahikawa design center

• Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido Nagayama 2 article 10-Chome 1-35 MAP
• It's a car from JR Asahikawa Station, about 15 minutes
• I get off 2 articles of embussment and Nagayama 10-Chome from feel Asahikawa in front of the JR Asahikawa Station, walking, immediately.
• 9:00-17:00
• Open everyday (I'm absent from the end of the year, the beginning of the year and Lantern Festival.)
• 0166-48-4135
• Free