Kuraray Interior Co., Ltd.—a wholly owned Kuraray subsidiary (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka City)—announced in May of this year that its luxury Japanese-style Hokumin Furniture business would be ceasing operations. Having subsequently received calls from several quarters demanding that the Hokumin Furniture business be saved, Kuraray Interior now announces that furniture maker HIDA SANGYO Co., LTD. (Headquarters: Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture) recently took over the Hokumin Furniture* brand and manufacturing plant and will commence operations on November 16. HIDA SANGYO will also provide repair services on an ongoing basis for customers who currently own Hokumin furniture.
Commencement of HIDA SANGYO Co., LTD.’s Hokumin Furniture operations: November 16, 2009
Company Name | Kuraray Interior Co., Ltd. | HIDA SANGYO Co., LTD. |
---|---|---|
Headquarters | 1-12-39 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka City | 1-82-1Nada-machi Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture |
Plant | Mikasa City, Hokkaido | Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture |
President | Kiyoshi Kitagawa | Sanzo Okada |
Principal businesses | Furniture manufacturing and marketing | Furniture manufacturing and marketing |
Capital | ¥10 million (wholly owned by Kuraray) | ¥300 million |
Number of employees | 48 | 274 |
Established in 1964 by Soichiro Ohara (Kuraray's second president), whose father, Magosaburo Ohara (Kuraray's first president), had gained a deep insight into the mingei (folk craft) movement that had flourished around Muneyoshi Yanagi in the late 1920s. Inheriting and developing the fundamental folk craft idea of "buying in bulk means good prices," Hokumin furniture has brought to fruition "real beauty in domestic furniture"-in other words, "beauty of use." The manufacturing process, which pursues authenticity by utilizing large amounts of Hokkaido birch and emphasizes hand manufacture by artisans alongside modern technologies, has many fans. As a symbol of responsibility and trust, Hokumin Furniture’s familiar logo features a design by Living National Treasure Keisuke Serizawa.