Tsukiyono Kiri Tansu is a chest of drawers made of paulownia wood, crafted continuously in the Tsukiyono district of Minakami, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture, since the workshop's founding in 1917 (Taisho 6). Paulownia wood is light and has an elegant grain, and because it slightly expands and contracts with humidity, it keeps a stable level of moisture inside a chest; compounds in its sap also help repel insects. For this reason, paulownia chests have long been valued as storage furniture that protects treasured kimono and other items from moisture and pests. The Tsukiyono district was blessed with easy access to high-quality paulownia timber, and artisans there handle every step in-house, from selecting and cutting the wood and drying the boards to joinery (sashimono) and fitting the metal hardware, producing sturdy chests that resist warping. Today, alongside chests in the traditional style, makers also produce paulownia chests and boxes designed for modern homes, and the craft is passed down as a representative woodworking technique of the region, designated a Gunma Prefecture Furusato Traditional Craft.
Origin
Tsukiyono Kiri Tansu traces its origins to a workshop specializing in paulownia wood, founded in 1917 (Taisho 6) in the Tsukiyono district of Minakami, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture. Located in the upper reaches of the Tone River, Tsukiyono had easy access to high-quality paulownia timber, allowing chest-making to take root as a local industry. Since its founding, the workshop has maintained an unwavering commitment to the quality of its paulownia wood, with local artisans handling everything from selecting and drying the boards to joinery (sashimono) in-house, a system that has become the foundation for passing down the techniques of Tsukiyono Kiri Tansu.
History
For more than a century since its founding, Tsukiyono Kiri Tansu has been made as storage furniture that protects kimono and valuables from moisture and insect damage, staying close to the everyday life of the region. Even as lifestyles and housing conditions have changed over time, the workshop has continued to prize quality paulownia wood and preserve traditional joinery (sashimono) techniques, and in recent years it has also begun producing smaller paulownia boxes and storage items suited to modern living spaces alongside chests in the traditional style. These efforts have been recognized with its designation as a Gunma Prefecture Furusato Traditional Craft.
Features
The defining feature of Tsukiyono Kiri Tansu is how fully it draws out the natural properties of paulownia wood. Paulownia is light and soft, with an elegant grain, and its wood slightly expands and contracts with humidity, keeping a stable level of moisture inside the chest. Compounds contained in its sap also help repel insects, allowing it to protect treasured kimono and belongings for years without the need for mothballs. Using joinery (sashimono) techniques that fit boards together, the chests are assembled with almost no nails, resulting in sturdy pieces that resist warping.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Cutting and Drying the Wood
Carefully selected paulownia logs are sawn into boards, soaked in water to remove tannins, and then naturally dried outdoors over several years, exposed to sun and rain, to let the wood settle and stop warping.
- 2
Shaping the Wood
The thoroughly dried paulownia boards are shaped into the various parts of the chest. Using traditional joinery techniques (sashimono) with interlocking joints and wooden pegs, the parts are assembled with almost no nails.
- 3
Finishing
The surface is scorched with a heated iron, then rubbed with a tool called an 'uzukuri' to bring out the texture of the wood grain, giving the piece paulownia's characteristic muted color and finish.
- 4
Fitting the Hardware
Handles and decorative fittings are attached, and the movement of the drawers is given a final adjustment to complete the piece. Every detail is finished by the artisan's own hands.
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Artisans & Workshops
桐匠根津
Founded in 1917 (Taisho 6), Kirisho Nezu is a paulownia specialty shop with more than a century of history in Tsukiyono, Minakami, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture. Using only carefully selected Aizu and Tsunan paulownia wood, it makes fully custom-order paulownia chests and boxes.
Official site →How to Buy
- 桐匠根津
- A specialty shop in Tsukiyono that makes and sells paulownia chests. Fully custom-order paulownia chests start at around 180,000 yen, and the shop also carries paulownia boxes, rice storage containers, and other everyday items.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
桐匠根津
群馬県利根郡みなかみ町月夜野262
Factory tours are available with advance notice. The shop also occasionally holds hands-on events related to paulownia, such as tree-planting activities.
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