1. What is Osaka Senshu Kiritansu？
The paulownia chest, which represents Japanese furniture, has been handed down to this day as an indispensable piece of furniture for storing important clothing, books, and tools.
In Japan, it is said that when a girl is born, a paulownia tree is planted in the garden, and when she is married, she uses the tree to make a chest of drawers or a long-lasting tree and use it as a wedding tool.
Features
So why was paulownia wood chosen for furniture？
One of the reasons is the temperature control and insect repellent effect of paulownia trees.
Paulownia has the property of absorbing moisture when it is humid and releasing it when it is dry.
Also, unlike other woods, paulownia wood is weakly alkaline and has the characteristic of repelling insects.
Since the temperature is kept constant, mold does not grow easily, and in a hot and humid Japanese environment, paulownia wood, which has high temperature control, mold resistance, and insect repellent effect, can be said to be the best material for furniture.
Another reason is that it has excellent fire resistance.
It is said that “paulownia burns itself and saves the contents”, and in the event of a fire, even if the outside is burnt, the inside does not go through and the clothes are often saved. With that in mind, paulownia wood was chosen.
No matter how old and dirty the paulownia chest is, or if it is cracked and damaged, it can be reborn as new by washing (repairing and refurbishing), so it is said that the paulownia chest is a lifetime. It is the only valuable traditional craft furniture that can be passed down to the next generation as well.
Among them, the paulownia chest of drawers in Osaka Senshu is made of thick, high-quality solid paulownia wood, and is characterized by its heavy and elegant fluffiness. There are many kumite, and we are still sticking to it.
History
About 300 years ago, a craftsman named Shinsaibashisuji Andojimachi Tansu Tailoring Root, Kinya Ichizaemon appears in the document “Namba Crane”.
By this time, chests of drawers already existed in present-day Osaka City, and it is said that they were the first to spread in Japan. In the latter half of the Edo period, the manufacturing technology was established, and it spread to Izumi Province through the border and formed a production area. It is said that
Since Osaka is geographically located in the key position of Japan and was the best place for distribution, it was a very rich town at that time, and everything necessary for daily life was gathered in Osaka.
As a result, I came to have a lot of kimono and clothing, and the paulownia chest was useful as a tool for storing it.
With such a balance between supply and demand, the making of chests in Osaka has developed.
In addition, at the end of the Edo period, agricultural technology improved and the number of farmers who could store property increased in the Kinki region, which was blessed with a climate.
The farmer’s choice for distributing the property of the trees to the children was to give the girl a wedding tool and marry her.
The wedding tool was a compassion for the parents to improve their daughter’s position at the place of earning, and was also a proof of the financial strength of their parents’ home.
Therefore, I came to compete to make the best chest of drawers.
2. Work process
① Lumber
Depending on the condition of the annual rings, the grain and the plank are distinguished and sawn.
After that, let it dry naturally for about 1 to 2 years.
There are so many timbers that surround the factory.
② Wood removal
Perform wood gathering and straightening, and glue and fix 3 to 4 sheets with glue (smooth gathering).
③ Re-distortion
Blow the shavings generated during the impression with fire to correct them, and shave both sides flat.
In some cases, pressure is applied with a large press to straighten the distortion as if it were ironed.
④ Gourd processing
Shave the joint surface of the board, apply glue to fix it, and join it.
If you select timber that matches the flow of the grain and glue it side by side, it will look like a single board.
⑤ Wooden construction
The processed board is cut to the dimensions to make the front board and sliding doors.
⑥ Kumite processing
Knead the wood on the front part of the main body, and after drying, scrape the surface.
Then, make a kumite “tenon”.
A “tenon” is a “tenon” for joining boards by combining them.
Making “tenons” is a showcase for craftsmen’s skills.
It is done in a unique pose, with one foot on the board.
The “tenon” made according to the dimensions fits tightly when combined, and does not make a big deal.
⑦ Main assembly
Attach the feet, hit the back plate, shave and adjust with an assembly saw, wipe with water, and then finish shaving.
⑧ Drawer / sliding door processing
Drawers and trays are shaved to make sliding door hinged doors.
We will make a drawer tray according to the main body and prepare it.
⑨ Finishing
Adjust with a finishing plane and attach coloring and metal fittings.
3. Initiatives
Yukihiko Tanaka, President and CEO of Tanaka Furniture Mfg. Co., Ltd. in Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture, paid attention to the news that more and more people are keeping cash in their hands due to the corona vortex.
Taking the word “tansu deposit” as a hint, he proposed to arrange a paulownia chest that is strong against water and sun into a compact product that fits the current lifestyle as a storage for important things.
He launched it as a “three karakuri! Tansu deposit-only paulownia chest” that protects your own “important things”.
In addition, we have adopted crowdfunding, which is one of the financing methods, as a method of appealing that long-established stores are working on new things.
In the end, it achieved 1,660,000 yen, which greatly exceeds 500,000 yen.
In addition to being widely known, it has been recognized as a “box for storing important things”, and various consultations such as jewelry, watches, gold products, important documents, and wanting to store bones have come to be received.
In addition, the media introduced the traditional “replacement and repair of old paulownia chests”, which was an opportunity for many people to know about it.
4. Impressions
As with any industry, as soon as a good product comes out, a cheap and easily available product is made, and the real product disappears after price competition. I will.
In Japanese society so far, if it looks good and is easy to use, there is no need to use the real thing, and even a similar fake has not hindered our lives.
However, recent Japan tends to reaffirm the good old traditions.
Tanaka Furniture Mfg. Co., Ltd. is made from “the highest peak of paulownia chests”, Osaka Senshu Kiritansu, using traditional construction methods.
From the beginning, he has been working with the idea that “really good things will be passed down to the next generation.”
Even if it’s a little pricey, the idea is returning to using really good things for a long time.
The goodness of traditional crafts is that the quality of the product itself is also very good, but more than that, the thoughts and accumulation of craftsmen appear in the product, and the soul resides in the product.
It’s like an idol.
I would like to meet as many traditional crafts and traditional craftsmen as possible that I want to support.
Next time preview
Thank you for reading to the end！
I would also like to post some interesting things about Kansai.
Then, have a good trip from now on！
PS. We provide various information about Kansai in Japan, so please feel free to contact us if you would like to visit or experience it！
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