ASAHIKAWA DESIGN CENTER 旭川デザインセンター Japan Style – Introduction of industries for buyers –

This is the booth of a custom-made furniture brand, “gauzy calm works”, which is run by members in their thirties or younger. Many of the items on display are made by utilizing locally sourced materials and solid wood with knots, like the ones shown here.

Arflex, originally an Italian furniture maker, relocated its sofa production department to Asahikawa. A wide variety of items are gathered here, from major brands as well as artisans who work individually.

The Asahikawa Design Center is a shop run by Asahikawa Furniture Industry Cooperative. Highly unique products from about 30 furniture makers in Asahikawa are on display. The Asahikawa area manufacturers were encouraged to make furniture for their dwellings. It is one of the major lumber distribution centers in Japan and flourished with the production of cabinets as marriage furniture (luxury cabinets that parents of the bride buy as wedding gifts), but such needs decreased significantly due to changes in lifestyles. The industry has been searching for ways to develop new paths since the 1990s, led by the Cooperative.

One of these is the “International Furniture Design Competition”, which has been held once every three years since 1990. Furniture makers refined their skills by making prototypes based on designs from in and out of the country and helped the city grow as a town of designer furniture. “Asahikawa Design Week” continues to take place in June every year to hold exhibitions and deliver information on furniture. Similar contents are on permanent exhibition at the Asahikawa Design Center. The International Operation Department, established in 2015, plays a role as a window to the world, providing support for negotiations between manufacturers, buyers, and developers.