Collection: Matsumoto Folk Craft Furniture

A furniture brand from Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Matsumoto Mingei Furniture began when Sanshiro Ikeda began producing folk furniture in 1948 (Showa 23) as part of the folk art movement advocated by Muneyoshi Yanagi. Matsumoto has a long history of furniture, dating back more than 300 years, and at the end of the Taisho era, it flourished as one of Japan's leading producers of Japanese furniture. However, due to the war and the chaos immediately after the war, Japanese furniture production came to a halt, and woodworkers were scattered. Sanshiro Ikeda, who was involved in the construction industry in Matsumoto, decided to get involved in the revival of Matsumoto Woodworking Industry, with the encouragement of Muneyoshi Yanagi. Sanshiro Ikeda thought of gathering together unknown master craftsmen who had lost their jobs and become scattered, and having them produce Western furniture that would be needed in the post-war Japanese lifestyle. Many pioneers of the folk art movement, such as Yanagi Muneyoshi and Bernard Leach, visited Matsumoto many times and exchanged letters with Matsumoto, providing technical and design guidance, and also providing spiritual support, laying the foundation for today's Matsumoto folk art furniture. Matsumoto's traditional woodworking techniques and Japanese aesthetic sense led to the production of Western furniture in a unique style. Matsumoto folk art furniture exhibitions were held in major cities across the country from the 1950s. The high precision of the work and the excellent design made the company famous. After that, the company received an order from Rockefeller III of the United States and delivered the furniture to Rockefeller Center in New York. The fact that Rockefeller, who had become vice president, ordered again shows that the quality and design that is acceptable to Westerners are highly regarded. In 1976, the company was designated a traditional craft product "Matsumoto furniture" by the Minister of International Trade and Industry, and it continues to make prototypes and conduct research to spread the field of folk art furniture. Matsumoto Mingei Furniture is the original manufacturer of Hokkaido and Kyushu folk furniture, and is still highly regarded today for its superior quality and skilled craftsmanship. It continues to grow as one of Japan's leading furniture brands.