April 2023
About paulownia "Kiri"
Characteristic of paulownia Paulownia is a hardwood tree belonging to the family Gramineae. It is a fast-growing tree that can produce wood in a short period of time. It is planted not only in Japan but also overseas as a horticultural tree because of its early growth and beautiful flowers. Also it is the lightest (lowest density) wood in Japan, and has excellent heat insulation and humidity control properties, as well as low shrinkage and swelling rates and low distortion as wood. Among Japanese wooden furniture, paulownia chests are particularly outstanding. History of paulownia and human society in Japan In Japan, there are several emblems based on the white paulownia […]
How to make Japanese wooden boxes "Kiribako"
STEP 1 Removing Acidity from Wood and Drying Paulownia wood is left out in the rain for about 2 to 3 years to remove the scum, and then dried in a hot bath to further improve the quality of the paulownia wood. If the box is made without sufficient removal of the scum and drying process, it may crack, deform, or discolor, which will affect the finish of the box. STEP 2 Lumbering After removing acidity and drying, the logs are sawn into various sizes and thicknesses for processing. At this time, we sort the lumber to determine its material quality and grain. STEP 3 Frameworking The paulownia wood is […]