SOMA Japanese Forests and Wooden Furniture

Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum is pleased to present an exhibition introducing the activities of SOMA, a lifestyle brand led by woodworker Yu Kawai, who has an atelier in Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture. While confronting forests and trees every day as a woodworker, Kawai began to experience the culture and depth of ancient Japanese wood, and at the same time, began to look at the use of wood in Japan. . At present, in Japan, the trees that should have been planted in anticipation of the future shortly after the war are not used effectively, and as a result, ecosystems centered on forests are being destroyed. On the other hand, Japan imports a large amount of inexpensive timber harvested from overseas forests, accounting for 70% of the annual timber consumption. Kawai launched SOMA in 2016, considering how to resolve such situations and incorporate the ancient Japanese lifestyle culture near forests and trees into the present day. The activities started by a single woodworker gradually attracted the sympathy of many people and developed into various collaborations, including not only the manufacture and sale of furniture, but also workshops, fieldwork, and activities to make use of the forest. This exhibition will be the first exhibition to give a bird's-eye view of the whole picture of SOMA, which is engaged in multifaceted activities. Please come and visit us to find ways to enjoy forests and trees and tips to connect rich nature to future generations.

◆SOMA
A lifestyle brand that was founded in 2016 mainly by woodworker Yu Kawai.
In addition to designing and producing products made from Japanese wood, we also develop activities to discover the charm of forests and trees from various angles through chair making workshops and fieldwork walking through the forest. He is also involved in the creation of forests and the use of forest resources in cooperation with the local community, and conveys the culture of living with trees, which has been nurtured since ancient times, against the background of Japan's geographical characteristics. The brand name SOMA is derived from "Soma", which was used for soma people (people who work in the mountains) and soma work (work in the mountains).
madebysoma.com

◆Yu Kawai (woodworker, SOMA Director)
Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1979. He runs around the mountains and grows up in a construction shop run by relatives. After graduating from the Department of Architecture at Kyoto Seika University in 2001, he went through woodwork training in Hida and furniture training in Kyoto before becoming independent in 2007. In addition to his own work, he launched SOMA in 2016, and as a director of the brand, he works to connect forests and people.
kawai-masaru.com

You can download A4 size and PDF leaflets (2MB)