Designs for wooden products

Proposal of designs for wooden products such as chair, furniture, lighting, sundries, and building products

*Products are to be made of domestic lumber either entirely or partially.
*Different materials other than wood may be used.
*It is assumed that main processes of making products are performed in Hida.

Japan has about 25 million hectares of forest (as of 2012), which is equivalent to two thirds of the area of the whole country. This ratio is one of the highest in the world, and in this sense, Japan can be called as a country of forest. In spite of such abundant resources, however, extensive use of cheap foreign lumber practiced for more than a half century has put the domestic forestry into an almost devastating situation. Forests have been left without adequate proper maintenance such as pruning and thinning, and thus they are increasingly losing healthiness. Essentially, forests can maintain their blessed and rich figure by keeping the “circulation or chain” of using trees and growing trees. We believe it is important to link the forest circulation with our daily consumption behavior by promoting development of products that are made of domestic lumber.

1st prize (1): commercialization of product to be considered, extra prize of 300,000 yen
2nd prize (3): commercialization of product to be considered, extra prize of 30,000 yen
Incentive prize (a few) *students and those under 30 are eligible: extra prize of a representative product of Hida

Applicants need to be able to communicate in Japanese or in English.

*When applying as a group, a representative should be designated, under whose name an application is made.
*The number of applications is not limited.

●Presentation Sheet
(1 piece of A3 (420mm x 297mm) single-sided paper in landscape (horizontal) orientation)

Format: All submitted files must be PDF. All files must be 10MB or under in size.
Please avoid using any special characters (", &, <, >, ©, etc) when naming your entry files.

【Mandatory Items】

・Rendering (Photo, CG, Illustration, etc.)
・Title
・Descriptive text (with in 400 letters (Japanese : 200 letters))

【Optional】

・Possible maker, possible market, assumed retail price, assumed tree species, processing method, three orthographic views (top/side/front), detail drawing, image in use, etc.

Entry reception period has been extended until Friday, 21th July 2017. (Japan Standard Time)

Application has been closed

Representative companies belonging to the Hida Woodworking Federation

• Ibata Interior Co., Ltd.
• Oak Village Co., Ltd.
• Kakishita Woody Works. Co., Ltd.
• Kashiwa Mokko Corporation
• Kijiya Corporation
• Kitani Co.,Ltd.
• Komaya Co. Ltd.
• Shirakawa Co., Ltd.
• NISSIN FURNITURE CRAFTERS CO.,LTD.
• Hida Sangyo Co.,Ltd
• Butsudankougei Horio alter crafts Ltd.
• PLUS-ONE CO., LTD.
• Mokudou Koubou, Ltd.

• Motomi Kawakami (Designer)

  

  Born in 1940. After finishing the Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked at the Angelo Mangiarotti Architect Office in Milan from 1966 to 1969. He established the Kawakami Design Office in 1971. Specializing in product, interior, and environmental designs, he focuses on creating humane designs and the environment. He also participates in various local industry promotion projects and professional education. Awards include: the Mainichi Design Prize, Gold Prize at the Good Design Award, Tanaka Award of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, iF Design Award, etc. His career includes a visiting professorship at Tokyo University of the Arts and Tama Art University.

• Mitsuko Kuroda (Style Director/interior director/stylist/design writer)

  

  Head of the Mitsuko Kuroda Laboratory, Ms.Kuroda is an interior stylist and deigner as well as a style editor. She got her start as a magazine writer as one of the founding members of Hanako (Magazine House) at the end of the 1980s. Later, she broadened to produce and write articles for women's and design magazines and to supervise the overall styling concepts for articles. Also, she is a style consultant for advertising, events, exhibition displays, and housing interiors.Her publications include Happy Style A to Z (gap publishing).

• Chiaki Hayashi (Representative Director of Loftwork Inc. and CEO of Hidakuma Inc.)

  

  Graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Waseda University and received a Master’s degree in Journalism from Boston University. After working at Kao Corporation, she established Loftwork Inc. in 2000. The company undertakes over 550 projects annually including web, business, community and spatial design initiatives. She also operates the creator registration website “loftwork.com”, the digital café for fabrication “FabCafe”, and a co-working facility “MTRL”, focusing on materials. Her carriers include the Japan Liaison to the Director of MIT Media Lab, and a communication director of Ibaraki Prefecture Kenpoku Art festival. She is a founder and CEO of the public and private joint-cooperation “Hidakuma Inc.” in Hida City, Gifu, focusing on creation of local industries through reforestation and fabrication.

• Yasushi Yamazaki (To-Ryu-Mon Brand director of JDN Inc.)

  

  Born in 1969 in Muroran and raised in Sapporo, Hokkaido. After graduating from Hokkaido University with a major in philosophy, he worked for Tanseisha Co., Ltd., the largest spatial design company, due to his love for designing. In 1997, he launched an intra-venture business “JDN”, and played a central role in establishing the business by securing potential customers. He became a director of JDN Inc. in 2011. Today, as the Brand Director, he works in consulting for design competitions, interviewing, writing, and lecturing. He is also a board member of the Japan Brand Festival.

1)Whether advantages and characteristics of woods are utilized.

2)Whether it is in accordance with Hida Design Charter.

3)Whether it is assumed to be made in Hida.

4)Whether it has potential for a future product.

Initial review) The representative of each participant maker selects a design which they are willing to consider commercializing.

Final review) Representatives of participant makers and outside advisors discuss the candidates for commercialization of products selected in initial review, and decide on candidates for awards.

*Outside advisors check all the submitted entries that did not pass the initial review, and make recommendations to participant makers to include the entries in the candidate for final review, as necessary.

Scheduled in September 2017

*Communication with prize winners is scheduled in August.

Copyright of the work remains with the applicant.

*In proceeding with commercialization of product, handling of the right will be discussed individually with the maker.

• Entries must be original to the applicant, and unpublished domestically and abroad. Also, they must not have been commercialized or planned to be commercialized.
• Submitted entries will not be returned.
• Entries should not be submitted simultaneously to any other prize competitions.
• If there is a possibility that any entries that may infringe a third party’s right, including copyright, portrait right, trademark, and design right, the applicant should communicate the fact at the time of submission after obtaining necessary permission on his/her own responsibility.
• In the case of a lawsuit filed by a third party or any other dispute arising over an entry, it should be dealt with by the applicant at the expense and on the responsibility of himself/herself. Please agree that the applicant shall indemnify and hold the organizer harmless from all loss, damages and expenses including reasonable legal expenses, and prevent damages from occurring.
• In the case where a submitted entry is the same or remarkably similar with an already published design, or where it infringes a third party’s intellectual property right (including the case where such infringement occurs after application), the awarded prize may be revoked at the organizer’s discretion even after the award result is announced.
• When it is revealed that there was an act which encourages antisocial forces, the involved applicant will be ineligible for the review. Even when it is revealed after the award is announced, the award will be provoked without notification. The applicant will not be indemnified from any damage which may result from this event.
• In the case where matters other than those set forth in the application guidelines need to be arranged, they will be determined by the organizer’s judgment. The applicant may withdraw the submission if he/she cannot agree with the decision. The organizer will not bear any cost involved in the application.
• Although the organizer will take considerable care in management and transport of the submitted entries after receiving, the organizer will not bear responsibility for any breakage and loss caused by natural hazard and other unexpected accidents.
• In the case where a prize winner is underage, parental consent needs to be confirmed in writing separately. The prize may be revoked if the parental consent has not been obtained.
• Applicants may not make an objection to the result of review. The organizer is not obliged to disclose the reason for the result.
• The organizer may publish the prize-winning works at an exhibition, the website and other media issued by the organizer. The organizer will provide the mass media with the information about the given prizes through a press release etc.
• The prize money will be paid after deducting the taxes such as withholding income tax and special income tax for reconstruction.
• The time schedule related to this competition may be changed at the organizer’s convenience.

• The information of the prize winners such as name, age and background will be announced at printed materials, the website and the mass media.
• Applicants’ personal information will be used by Hida Woodworking Federation as the organizer of the competition, and JDN Inc. as its cooperative company, with the sole purpose of operational communication, mailing of materials, communication to prize winners and delivery of extra prizes, and statistical work.
• Personal information of prize winners may be disclosed to the organizer and its associated companies for the purpose of the operation of the competition, as necessary.

HIDA WOOD WORKING FEDERATION

*This project has been grant-aided by the Regional Vitalization Fund Project Expense of Gifu Prefecture.

JDN 、To-Ryu-Mon

• Ibata Interior Co., Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Monozukuri (meaning making things with intangible qualities of craftsmanship) ” that weaves wood, and makes use of wood

  “Furniture” creates value only when it is used. We are happy to be of help to as many people as possible. “We appreciate trees as blessing of nature, and work on bending face-to-face with each tree so that they are effectively utilized. We continue furniture making by carrying on the expert techniques developed in Hida-Furukawa, and at the same time by positively adopting the latest technology.

• Oak Village Co., Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Trees that spent 100 years to grow will turn into something that can be used for 100 years

  We have practiced monozukuri that cares our health and environment, using domestic natural woods in a wide range of products, from crafts, furniture to wooden buildings, by utilizing traditional construction method and natural coating material. An array of our toys, including “Choir in woods ”, a xylophone made of various tree species, have won the Good Toy Award , and many of our chairs have earned the Good Design Award as well. In parallel to monozukuri, we also actively undertake efforts to grow forests of broad-leaved trees throughout the country.

• Kakishita Woody Works. Co., Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  LIGHTING PRODUCTS

  For a half century, we have produced products with a focus on “comfort” that comes as a synergy effect of warmth of wood and fineness of light. We deliver a new style of lighting from Hida-Takayama with a will and techniques nurtured along with woods, focusing on products designed to be “practical” as lighting and yet somewhat “gorgeous”.

• Kashiwa Corporation

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Since established in 1943, we have made furniture out of natural woods that gives you a warm woody feeling, so that we can offer “comfortable living space with wood” created with traditional techniques and new sensitivity.

  To ensure that our customers can use our products for many years, we totally coordinate the whole room (furniture, kitchen, interior doors). Every product has no stock, as we start making one after receiving the order. Making furniture and doors that meet each customer’s requirements will help us, as a company, to develop a clear awareness of the customers. We make one by one with respect, thinking of the future owner.

• Kijiya Corporation

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  A group of young technical experts who embody the beauty of trees

  A furniture workshop Kijiya, standing in a quiet forest. The furniture, which embraces the texture of wood such as the color, shape, and grain, is hand-made by individual craftsman. Starting from sawing raw wood, individuality and beauty of trees are brought out to the maximum extent. The coating of products is mainly oil-finished in consideration of environmental burden. We are a group of young technical experts who hold a vision to make highly designed products, in anticipation of integration with space design like housing.

• Kitani Co.,Ltd.

  

  Uncompromising monozukuri by craftsman

  Through partnership with designers and their families in Northern Europe, Kitani now produces great pieces of North European furniture under license, which are not manufactured even in the home countries. Highly selected materials and experienced craftsmanship are concentrated in the beauty of North European furniture. We explore the roots of designs and monozukuri not only from branded furniture but also from unbranded ones, and pass on the traditional craftsmanship.

• Komaya Co. Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Monozukuri of designer’s quality

  The leader of our company is an actively working designer, who knows everything about furniture-making and also takes orders to design from others. While making more and more products of original designs, we mainly produce custom-ordered furniture for various houses both unbeknownst and openly. Especially in making chairs, we have received a high evaluation, and to our delight, we continuously receive orders from architects, designers, shops and fellow makers who recognize our high sensitivity, willing to leave it all up to us for their convenience. Please come and see what is truly happening.

• Shirakawa Co., Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Recreation of the aesthetics of Japanese architecture with furniture

  “We start with〈monozukuri〉rather than drawing. It is important to bring out a design from the designer’s mind.” We have produced Wasen (Japanese freshness) series which have fine appearance with implications for heightened skills and unconventional sensitivity. Aiming for furniture that can be still called modern after 100 years, we implement “forward look and creativity”.

• NISSIN FURNITURE CRAFTERS CO.,LTD.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  We support a comfortable life with people at the center

  “Simple is the best, after all. But technical promise is necessary.” What do people seek from chairs as furniture? Shape, size, color, material, function… and don’t forget weight and strength. Light and sturdy chair is the ultimate figure sought from the only furniture that is continually moved all day. The lightweight chair with 3.8 kg now being proposed has been completed with techniques such as bentwood or mortise-and-tenon joint as well as various devices at hidden parts. Simplicity is not so simple as it looks.

• Hida Sangyo Co.,Ltd

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Monozukuri that gives full attention to trees and make use of them

  While inheriting the techniques of “Skills of Hida”, we collaborate with different designers, reproduce masterpiece furniture of Showa period, and at the same time continue to offer products that answer the needs of the age. We are also active in environmentally-friendly monozukuri, by researching and developing furniture made of domestic lumber such as Japanese cedars, and making furniture by utilizing knots of trees, which was thought to be scrap wood before.

• Butsudankougei Horio alter crafts Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  “Takayama Alter” which gathered chic of the art

  As one of the best alter makers and directly managed stores in the prefecture established in 1909, we offer products that meet the users’ requirements, from traditional Takayama alter with double doors to compact alters. Those with sliding doors for space-saving (utility model) and “crafted alters” that are finished with Japanese lacquer also enjoy good reputations. Another product we have developed in an attempt to integrate the tradition and contemporary needs is Shunkei alter that is finished with a Hida’s traditional craft of shunkei lacquer . Being respectful of tradition and embracing appreciation for ancestors, we make these alters with our whole hearts.

• PLUS-ONE CO., LTD.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Monozukuri with the customer’s concept as the highest priority

  We excel at producing creative products which leave behind standardized mass-produced products. In times that is increasingly shifting to diversity and individuality, it is important to get a sense of what is necessary in significant commercial space with consolidated needs or welfare facilities for the aged. In an ongoing effort to produce comfortable and friendly space to people, we are actively conducting business within and outside the prefecture.

• Mokudou Koubou, Ltd.

  >>Click here to watch profile video

  

  Furniture is an assistant tool to live a cultural life

  Craftsmen were originally designers as well as producers. We make furniture with such a fundamental figure of craftsman in mind. Furniture that is handed down for generations, including small articles and large furniture, and in time kept as antique. That is our ideal.