【Kagawa】A Christmas tree made from paulownia boxes.

Paulownia boxes have long been valued as treasure chests for shrines and temples, boxes for ceramics and tea utensils, and containers for small items.
Paulownia wood is very light and soft, which allows for the creation of products with excellent airtight properties.

When I first saw a sample, I was deeply impressed by the beauty of the material and the precision of the craftsmanship. The construction was so perfectly sealed that when you closed the drawer, you could feel the air inside being drawn out.

Additionally, its ability to absorb and release moisture to maintain humidity, along with its natural insect-repellent properties, make it exceptionally suitable for storage.

Paulownia wood holds many advantages. I felt that with just one idea, it could be connected to modern needs.

Strangely enough, anything stored in a paulownia box seems to become something valuable, precious, or warm. Holding Michihisa's work in my hands, I felt that this is the mystery and greatest charm of the paulownia box.

Reconstructing wood with wood

This project presented three major challenges.

The first was combining the functions of both a tree and a chest.
While having multiple directions for drawers to open is good, it's problematic if it makes the piece difficult to place in a room. Stacking boxes is good, but if they collapse, it's dangerous...

Therefore, we designed it to transform by adding dowels and recesses, allowing each tier to be disassembled, rotated, and rearranged.

When assembled in size order, it looks beautiful; when assembled randomly, it appears charmingly uneven. It functions well as interior decor and is enjoyable to use.

The second challenge was ensuring a distinctly "wooden" feel.
To achieve a shape resembling a tree's spreading branches when the drawer is pulled out, we created multiple sample pieces from thick paperboard to verify the shape and size.

To evoke a single tree, we deliberately oriented the wood grain vertically.
Traditionally, this grain pattern isn't used due to strength and processing concerns, which gave Michihisa quite a headache...

The third challenge was installing and lighting the lights.
Aiming to preserve the product's aesthetic appeal as much as possible, we sought the cooperation of Mr. Ryo Makishima from the Marketing Creative Center at Dentsu Inc. Kansai Branch.

After exploring various options like motion sensors and magnetic activation, we settled on placing a switch deep inside the box, activating the light when the drawer is pulled out.

Praying for the survival of traditional crafts

During the time when his late father was still active, demand was so high that orders never stopped, and there were many artisans. However, today, around Kotohira Shrine, Michihisa's shop is the only one left.

We witnessed firsthand the reality of the steadily declining demand for paulownia boxes.
Amidst this, Michihisa Paulownia Box Shop has seen opportunities like this project: collaborations with young designers and invitations to exhibit at art festivals.

This reaffirmed the significance of this project: breaking free from traditional forms to develop new products that highlight the material's inherent qualities and expand its recognition is key to preserving traditional crafts.

Finally, to all the stakeholders who cooperated with us until the very end despite various constraints and unreasonable requests, thank you very much indeed.

 

Making Movie

Planning Cooperation: Michihisa Michihisa
LED Production: Ryo Makishima (Dentsu Inc. Kansai)
Stills: Shota Endo
Making-of Filming: Hiroki Yamada (Dentsu Inc. Kansai)
Filming Support: Ashita no Shikaku ASHITA_ROOM