This week, Arkitektura sat down with Munetoshi Koda, international sales and branding manager for Maruni. Their collaborations with designers Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison, along with their unique manufacturing philosophy, are bringing a new perfection to the simple wooden chair.
Naoto Fukasawa (a recent guest of Arkitektura Assembly) talks about his work with Maruni.
Welcome to San Francisco, it’s great to have you here. Can you tell me about the philosophy of Maruni?
We’re really trying to create the long life design, one that can even last for 100 years. Our concept is “industrialized craft”. Hand crafting is really beautiful but it really costs a lot. Machine processing can bring affordability but often loses refinement and sensitivity to the material. We are taking the sensibilities of the craftsperson and merging them with the most advanced technologies. That’s what we call “Industrial Craft”.
Hiroshima Armchair-Designed by Naoto Fukasawa. Beech with Urethane Finish.
How do you think about sustainability?
For us, the environmental aspect of what we do is a huge concern and we like to support managed forests. Forestry standards in Europe and North America are some of the most sophisticated in the world and it’s something we deeply respect. We are importing our timber from outside of Japan: Beech, Ash, Maple come from Europe while Oak and Walnut are coming from North America.
Hiroshima Armchair-Designed by Naoto Fukasawa. Beech with Urethane Finish.
How do you see the relationship between Maruni and San Francisco?
It’s wonderful to be here in San Francisco, a place where companies such as Apple are really focusing on design. It’s the key element for them. I think, thanks to that sensibility, we have a good connection with San Francisco. Our approach is simplicity. Sometimes this is difficult to understand as it can be a very sophisticated process to create simplicity. We do believe that our simplicity is understood by San Francisco as their sensibility is so sophisticated. Our brand and our products fit with this market.
Hiroshima chair-Designed by Naoto Fukasawa. Beech with Urethane Finish.
What do you see for the future of Maruni?
There are many furniture manufactures in Japan but it has proved difficult for them to penetrate the international market. Maruni is developing its business by collaborating internally with branding, design and manufacturing. We are becoming known internationally now with over 25 countries carrying our brand.
We want to bring the essence of our philosophy and our culture to the world. As a Japanese furniture manufacturer, we’re producing the essence of what craft in Japan is now. We want to continue to bring our belief of industrialized craft to the international market.
Hiroshima Chair-Designed by Naoto Fukasawa. Beech with Urethane Finish.
Hiroshima Side Table-Designed by Naoto Fukasawa. Beech with Urethane Finish.
Insider Tip:
New work in Milan will feature a collaboration between Maruni and Kvadrat.
Here are images taken of the Hiroshima collection at the Maruni factory:
Maruni Factory, Japan.
Cutting the parts into appropriate sizes.
Selecting the parts which have the same direction of wood grain before these are glued together.
Seat back assembly is cut and shaped by CNC cutting.
After the parts are shaped by machine…
…they are sanded by craftsman to finish up to final touch.
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