Hello everyone. My name is Kawano, and I have recently joined SHIKI as the public relations representative.
I have always had an interest in Japanese craftsmanship and traditional arts, and I have a strong desire to share the appeal of artisans' techniques and Japanese culture with as many people as possible.
SHIKI is a furniture manufacturer based in Okawa City, known as a furniture production hub, and our concept is to capture the delicate sensibilities and beauty of Japan in the form of furniture.
Furniture created by many hands, expressing the beauty of Japan...
It is exactly the field I wanted to be involved in, and I joined SHIKI because I want to share its appeal and have as many people as possible know about it.
This is my first time working in both the furniture industry and the field of public relations, so I am still finding my feet, but I would appreciate your warm support as I get started.
Do you know the wood called "Sendan" (Chinaberry) that we use in our MITSUKI and totte lines?
To my embarrassment, I hadn't even heard the name before I started working at SHIKI.
As someone working for a manufacturer of wooden furniture, I felt I needed to know more about the wood we handle, so I recently attended an exhibition.
『 Exhibition on Raw vs. Roasted Sendan: Touching and Learning the Potential of Fast-Growing Trees』
(Organizer: Fukuoka Industrial Technology Center, Interior Design Research Institute)
At the presentation held by the staff of the Interior Design Research Institute, I was able to hear about their research firsthand.
What is Sendan?
Sendan is a native Japanese hardwood that grows quickly, has a moderate hardness, and can reach heights of about 15m to 30m. It grows naturally in warmer regions of Japan west of the Izu Peninsula, is widely distributed mainly in Shikoku and Kyushu, and can be seen all over Okawa City.
Since 2018, Okawa City has been running a project called "SENDAN" to plant and promote the use of Sendan trees. As this activity is looking 15 to 20 years into the future, the reality is that Sendan as a material is still rare and difficult to obtain.
Feature 1 of Sendan: Fast Growth
Although it is a hardwood, Sendan grows quickly and is attracting attention as a "fast-growing tree" that can be harvested in just 20 to 30 years after planting. It can be harvested about 2 to 3 times faster than softwood trees like Japanese cedar or cypress, which contributes to the revitalization of the forestry industry. Because of its rapid growth, it has low density and is lightweight, and it is also characterized by a bold grain pattern.
Feature 2 of Sendan: High CO2 Absorption
Sendan is said to have about three times the CO2 absorption capacity of typical hardwoods. By planting and utilizing Sendan, it plays a role in suppressing the progression of global warming, making it a sustainable wood.
Feature 3 of Sendan: Significant Individual Variations in Color
Sendan is generally light-colored, but individual pieces vary widely in tone, ranging from whitish to brown or grayish. At SHIKI, we produce our items with careful consideration to provide as consistent a quality as possible.
New Possibilities Created by Roasting
It seems that manufacturers involved in the "SENDAN" project mentioned earlier have noted that the "large color variation makes it difficult to use."
It was very interesting to learn about the research into whether "roasting" the wood could even out these variations, bring out new attractions beyond just light colors, and serve as an alternative to other types of timber.
The Catalyst for the Research: "Can it be used as a substitute for Walnut?"
Walnut, one of the world's three great precious woods, is a popular material for its deep color and beautiful grain.
However, it is traded at a high price due to its slow growth, rarity, and the limited usable parts of the tree.
While Sendan is still a rare tree for now, they theorized that if planting and promotional activities progress and supply increases, it might be possible to manufacture Sendan furniture stably and provide it at a lower price than walnut.
Comparing the two in reality...
While I felt there was a slight difference in color regarding solid wood, the oil-finished and urethane-finished versions looked like walnut at a glance.
As roasting removes internal moisture, the result was that it was lighter in weight than walnut.
In terms of impression, it is said to fit well with "modern" and "Japanese-modern" styles.
By the way, raw Sendan is similar in color to cedar and has a natural impression.
Also, because roasting makes Sendan easier to process, they compared the results before and after polishing using NC processing as an example.
Raw Sendan has a noticeable coarseness in texture, which can be reduced by polishing, but roasted Sendan was smooth to the touch even without polishing. In other words, there is the advantage of reducing polishing time.
When comparing the scent using wood shavings, the raw wood had a soft, relaxing scent typical of wood, but the roasted wood had a scent like yogurt or rare cheesecake—a mix of acidity with a little added sweetness—which was a strange experience. It smelled delicious...
This leads us to the main event: the "Exhibition of Concept Furniture Using Roasted Sendan."
On the left is a journaling table with the keyword "Karesansui" (dry landscape garden), born from a word association game.
On the right is a side table created based on the phrase "Emotional Furniture: Furniture that Accompanies Emotions," proposed during a dialogue with AI, and designed to allow one to fully experience the scent.
Journaling Table
Journaling (writing meditation) is the habit of writing down thoughts and emotions as they come to mind to clear the mind. It is said that continuing this, such as when you wake up in the morning or before going to bed at night, deepens self-understanding and leads to stress relief.
Just as a dry landscape garden expresses mountains and water using stones and sand instead of real water, the grain of the Sendan is likened to a waterfall, and the way water flows over a rock surface is represented by slits.
It is a table that gently accompanies those few minutes of writing down words from your heart and facing your true self.
Side Table
Emotions and scents are closely related, and smelling a scent you like or one that intuitively feels comfortable is an effective means of achieving relaxation. The structure provides a space on the side for a diffuser, cutting out visual noise so you can fully enjoy the scent.
The other side provides functionality to hold A4-size items while maintaining a compact depth, so it won't be in the way.
The calm, dark tone of the roasted Sendan matches relaxing spaces such as living rooms and bedrooms.
Potential and Challenges of Roasted Sendan
The bold idea of roasting wood was shocking to me, and while I have hope that it could potentially be an alternative to existing species, it seems there are also challenges.
Sendan grows quickly, with a structure where the new outer layers strongly tighten the older inner layers to withstand its own weight and wind resistance. This increases internal stress, which causes warping and twisting after processing.
Since roasting makes it drier, reduces its density, and weakens its strength compared to the raw state, the staff's view was that at this stage, it is best used for small items or side tables.
How will we continue to live alongside the Sendan that continues to grow in our local area?
We hope to continue utilizing it toward a sustainable future.
SHIKI currently uses Sendan in two series.
There is a possibility that our range will expand in the future, so I hope you will look forward to it.
