Sustainable Japanese Bamboo for Everyday Living｜Takematsu Shoten, Toshiyuki Kawabata

A long-established bamboo store with over 130 years of history

Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, is a region known for its high-quality bamboo since ancient times.

In this land, Takematsu Shoten has been a long-established store,

creating products with bamboo for over 130 years, since 1887 (Meiji 20).

Under the fourth-generation president, Toshiyuki Kawabata,the company is also focusing on training young craftsmen,

working to pass down and improve traditional techniques.

Takematsu Shoten's products are highly elastic and feature beautiful finishes.

 From everyday tools to furniture, they create items that leverage the unique flexibility and warmth of bamboo.

 Furniture series that blends into modern life

In recent years, we have developed a furniture series, BB Stool and Side Table,

that incorporates the appeal of bamboo into modern life.

These products were born as part of the BIWAKOTO Project,

in which our company participated as a coordinator.

Initially, the development started with a shape resembling an inverted bamboo basket,and then, at the designer's suggestion,

 it was refined into a beautiful, drum-like curved shape.

After repeated trial and error, it was completed into a form that is easy to use in modern living spaces and interiors.

It achieves both comfort and aesthetic beauty while utilizing the elasticity and lightness of bamboo.

We also use them as chairs for visitors at our company, and their design and comfort are well-received by customers who visit.

The charm of bamboo material and its sustainable value

Bamboo is fast-growing and regenerates easily after felling, making it a material that has been attracting attention recently for SDGs and its sustainable value.

Light and flexible yet strong, its warm texture brings peace to daily life. Takematsu Shoten's craftsmanship is supported by meticulous handwork that maximizes these characteristics of bamboo and values harmony with nature.

Bamboo products, which fuse tradition with modern sensibilities, bring a high-quality space and sustainable value to life.