Artisan
Okawa furniture designer
Harumi Tateno
Joined Tateno Wood Art Co, Ltd She was put in charge of custom-order furniture, and assumed the position of president in 2013. Listening carefully to the wishes of customers and tapping into her female sensitivity, she proposes furniture that is easy for customers to use.
The company not only makes furniture, but also collaborates on Hakata-Ori (traditional Japanese textile), establishes new brands, and seeks other new challenges.
The goal is “to create furniture that is added to the household, enjoyed by and becomes a part of the family.”
- What kind of products are you making?
- This ranges widely from home use furniture such as dining and living room sets and bed frames to custom-order furniture such as wall storage, and contract furniture.
- How did you come to this occupation?
- After working in the HR department of a company in a completely different field, I joined my family’s furniture business in 2007.
- What are you particular about in your work?
- Furniture that highlights the beauty of wood and makes those who see it beautiful. Furniture that customers carefully see, feel and want to use in their homes. Furniture that makes the life more pleasant. I look for ways to create such furniture.
- What is the good thing about your job?
- Manufacturing that is unique to Okawa, the heart of furniture production in Japan. Being able to make furniture here, I’m more grateful than happy. It may sound like a cliché, but there is no other joy than delivering furniture made by artisans in the factory and seeing the smiling faces of the customers receiving it. The network of people built through furniture is also something we treasure.
- What is your dream?
- We always put our utmost effort into proposing rich lifestyles surrounded by wood. All of us involved in furniture making in Okawa, including material suppliers, shipping agents, and manufacturers, work with pride and are rewarded; and I hope that we can continue to do just that. Just as the wood is appealing, furniture making is an appealing task. I aim to make our company a place that young people who wish to enter the field of furniture making gather from around the nation.
| Name of company | Tateno Wood Art Co, Ltd |
|---|---|
| Location | 726 Mukaijima, Okawa-shi, Fukuoka 831-0005 |
| TEL | +81-944-87-2140 |
| FAX | +81-944-87-2138 |
| HP | http://www.tatenomokuzai.info/ |
WORKS
