Matsumoto Furniture

  • Wood, bamboo crafts
  • Nagano

Matsumoto Furniture Matsumoto Kagu

Matsumoto Furniture is known for its solid construction using high-quality woods such as mizume cherry, combined with traditional joinery techniques and substantial solid timber. Finishes such as wiped lacquer enhance the natural grain, allowing the furniture to develop greater depth and character with use. It was designated a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government in 1976.

Description

What is Matsumoto Furniture ?

Matsumoto Furniture is traditional wooden furniture produced mainly in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. On February 26, 1976, it was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government.

The Matsumoto region is rich in forest resources and has a long tradition of woodworking and furniture making. Woods such as mizume, zelkova, and Japanese birch are selected according to their strength, grain, and suitability for different parts of the furniture.

One of the defining characteristics of Matsumoto Furniture is its precise traditional joinery. Mortise-and-tenon joints, interlocking joints, and other woodworking techniques are used to connect the components securely and create a durable structure. Metal fittings are also shaped and finished according to the design and function of each piece.

The wooden surface is often finished with lacquer techniques such as fuki-urushi, which enhance the natural grain while creating a subdued luster and rich depth of color.

After World War II, traditional Matsumoto woodworking was combined with ideas from the Japanese Mingei folk-craft movement and influences from European and American furniture design. This development led to what became widely known as Matsumoto Mingei Furniture.

Today, the tradition includes Windsor-style chairs as well as chests, cupboards, desks, tables, and other furniture suited to both Japanese and Western-style interiors. Craftspeople continue to preserve traditional joinery and lacquer-finishing techniques while making furniture intended for long-term use.

History

The history of Matsumoto Furniture is traditionally traced to the late sixteenth century, when a castle town developed around Matsumoto Castle. As the town grew, woodworking craftspeople produced architectural fittings, furnishings, and other wooden objects for local demand.

During the Edo period, demand for furniture increased as Matsumoto developed as a castle town. By the late Edo period, furniture such as chests, shelves, and other household furnishings was being produced not only for samurai residences but also for everyday use.

From the Meiji period onward, improvements in transportation expanded distribution beyond the local region. By the end of the Taisho period, Matsumoto had developed into one of Japan’s major centers for traditional Japanese furniture.

Production was severely disrupted during the years surrounding World War II because of material shortages and changing social conditions.

In 1948, Ikeda Sanshiro was inspired by a lecture by Yanagi Soetsu and began working to revive Matsumoto’s woodworking tradition through the principles of the Mingei movement. Through exchanges with figures such as Yanagi, Hamada Shoji, and Kawai Kanjiro, local furniture making developed in a new direction while retaining its established woodworking skills.

During the 1950s, interaction with the British potter Bernard Leach and others introduced ideas from traditional European furniture, including the Windsor chair. These forms were adapted through Matsumoto’s woodworking techniques and became an important part of what is now known as Matsumoto Mingei Furniture.

On February 26, 1976, Matsumoto Furniture became the first furniture craft in Japan to be designated as a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government.

Today, craftspeople in Matsumoto continue to produce chairs, tables, chests, cupboards, and other furniture using traditional woodworking and lacquer-finishing techniques.

Production Process

Matsumoto Furniture - Production Process Photo：Shinshu・Nagano Prefecture Tourism Association

  1. 1. Wood The production of Matsumoto furniture begins with the inspection of wood materials. Japanese cherry birch is the prominent wood but other types including oak, chestnut and zelkova are used according to their natural qualities and the beauty of their wood grain.
  2. 2. Natural drying The selected wood materials are cut at a sawmill and left in outdoor piles to dry naturally for anything from six months to two years, or even five to ten years depending on the size of the timber. While the amount of time it will take depends on their classification and thickness, the wood is left to dry until the water content is less than 30%.
  3. 3. Machine drying Once the water content has dropped below 30%, the wood is dried in a dryer for about seventy to eighty hours, until the water content is around 8-9%. Then the wood is left to season for about a month so that it is durable enough to make good furniture.
  4. 4. Pattern design The patterns of Matsumoto furniture are individually handwritten and drawn by craftsmen. First, the designs are in small-scale, then full size, detailed drawings are made from sketches, and paper templates are created from the drawings. The craftsman makes each pattern while imagining if each part of the item is in harmony not only with itself, but also with the type of place the furniture will be used.
  5. 5. Cutting to size After finishing the design, the wood planks are cut to the proper size. At first, craftsmen select wood materials which match the purpose of the furniture and line or mark it. Then the materials are cut horizontally and vertically or in a curved shape and thin planks.
  6. 6. Metal ornaments The metal ornaments are made of copper and iron, cut according to the paper templates, and hand filed to shape. The specially shaped parts include drawer handles shaped by firing. The heat also colors the lacquer and floss silk. After polishing with wax, the items become quite shiny.
  7. 7. Cutting wood joints Matsumoto craftsmen use a variety of wood joints. The skills to make them have been traditionally passed down for generations.
  8. 8. Assembly After the wood joinery pieces have been cut and chiseled, they are temporarily assembled, which is also when they are checked for any defects as most errors cannot be fixed during the final assembly. After the adjustment of errors, the piece is disassembled and ready for final assembly, gluing, and the smoothing of any rough areas.
  9. 9. Coating Once the glue has set, lacquer is applied by artisans. There are two kinds of coating methods: lacquer and wiped lacquer coating, although mainly wiped lacquer coating is used because of its durability. The furniture is hand-coated with at least eight coats of lacquer which adds beauty, durability in long-term use, and brings out the depth of the wood grain.
    Any metal ornaments, lathe-turned parts, doors and drawers are fitted. Then there is a thorough check that everything is working smoothly and closing properly. After the final check, the Matsumoto furniture is complete.
  10. 10. Finishing and Assembly
    In the final stage, the furniture undergoes finishing and assembly. Decorative metal fittings and lathe-turned components are added, and the doors, drawers, and other parts are fitted into place. After its functionality has been inspected, final adjustments are made, and the entire piece is carefully wiped and polished, the Matsumoto furniture is complete.

Facility Information

Matsumoto Folkcraft Museum

  • Address
    1313-1 Satoyamabe, Matsumoto-shi, Nagano, 390-0221, Japan
  • Tel.
    +81-263-33-1569
  • Closed
    Mondays （open if Monday is a holiday and closed the next day）, December 29 to January 3
  • Business Hours
    9am to 5pm
  • Access
    From the bus terminal in front of JR Matsumoto Station, take the Utsukushigahara Onsen Line and get off at “Matsumoto Folkcraft Museum.” The museum is a three-minute walk from the bus stop.
  • Website
    https://matsu-haku.com/mingei/ Open in new window

Other Wood, bamboo crafts

Other Crafts Made in Nagano