Concept
A Small Town Factory that Shines
Trees have the power of healing people's mind, and forests have the mystical power of bringing life into the world. As the expression "return to the forest" says, living among trees relaxes one's mind and body, allowing creativity to blossom. It is our sincere hope that our crafts will lead you closer to the power of the forest.
The Story of Apple Trees
Kimura Woodcraft Factory is based in Hirosaki, Aomori prefecture located in the northern tip of Honshu. Aomori prefecture is famous for its apples and magnificent cherry blossoms.
Our strong desire to contribute to the local area, lead us to combine the outstanding Aomori apple trees with the skills we honed overtime as professional artisans to create apple wood products.
A large amount of apple trees are disposed of every year, but no one attempted to use the wood as a material for crafts for the following reasons.
- As apple trees are grown to only a certain height to make it easy for harvest, the wood is only suitable to make small craft items.
- One must cut down the apple tree and process it to lumber themselves, as there are no lumber shops that supplies apple wood.
- Less than 50% of a tree can be used as lumber.
- Apple wood must be processed from a log, which makes it a high risk endeavor.
- Apple wood is inefficient to process and lacks aroma or typically sought after characteristics.
So why did our factory decide to use such wood?
We believe we should follow the rhythm of our time and now more than ever, there is a distinct value in creating products while taking full advantage of local resources and industry, as well as our own equipment and skills.
The apple trees are grown with extensive care and time, giving our products a notable aesthetic of warmth. We create customized wooden furniture, tableware, toys, and play equipment from apple wood, with the goal to make the most of the entire apple tree from the roots to the branches as it is an invaluable resource, this part of an action for the Zero Emission Initiative.
The Story of Aomori Hiba Crafts
Aomori hiba is notorious as one of the three most beautiful woods in Japan. Also known as Golden Wood, it grows over a period of three hundred to six hundred years in cold climates. It is an ultimate constructing material as it repels bacteria.
In the past, Aomori hiba has been prized for its excellence as the building material for temples, shrines, and castles. During the Edo era, The Tsugaru and Nambu Clan managed the cutting of hiba, prohibiting any access to the felled area to protect the forest. Thanks to such strict protections, the forest has maintained its beauty and natural state.
Aomori hiba produces unique substances only found in its wood.
- Aomori hiba produces a substance that makes it repellant to white ants.
- Aomori hiba is stronger against wood-decay fungus than other types of wood.
- Aomori hiba is stronger against mold than other types of wood.
As a precious and sacred tree, Aomori Hiba has much potential. Aomori hiba is also used as a material for a wand (*2) for a traditional event (*1), which our factory is responsible for the production.
- *1. Mt. Iwaki is the symbol of Tsugaru and has long been revered by the local people. On August 1st (lunar calendar), it is a tradition to climb Mt. Iwaki and pray for plentiful crops and good health.
- *2. Known as "Gohei", this wand is used in festivities based on the Japanese belief system Shinto to worship the gods and ancestors with respect to nature. It is made of bamboo or wood that holds two strips of paper cut in a special manner.
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