Collection: Nagata Ryosuke Shoten

Nagata Ryosuke Shoten, a top brand in Kobe furniture, was founded in 1872 as an antiques dealer supplying Western-style buildings in the foreign settlement in Kobe. In 1877, Nagata Ryosuke Shoten changed from an antiques dealer to a Western furniture dealer and began to seriously engage in the production of Western furniture. They were among the first to introduce European furniture manufacturing techniques and established a system of making custom furniture by drawing plans according to customer orders. Around 1900, they exported furniture to the UK and finished traditional Western designs with Japanese woodworking techniques, earning praise in Europe as well. Meanwhile, as homes in the Hanshin area were westernized, Nagata Ryosuke Shoten also worked on the furniture and interior decoration of many upper-class mansions, establishing a solid position in the production of Western furniture. In particular, the "sumi-bokashi" painting technique, which makes use of excellent European manufacturing techniques, has long been passed down as a secret of Nagata Ryosuke Shoten.