MATERIAL & TECHNIQUE
Materials
The materials used by IFUJI are high-quality lumber that is cut from logs according to its intended use and then slowly dried over a long period of time.
cherry
The East Coast of the United States is a region that produces high-quality cherry wood, and every year we transport by container the finest lumber carefully selected from the states where the finest logs are harvested to Japan.
The logs are transported from the port to the sawmill, then sawn into lumber using the best method for OVAL BOXES, and slowly dried naturally with the utmost care to not damage the wood's flavor.
Compared to Japanese wild cherry trees, it is slightly lighter and softer, but has less warping and changes to a beautiful, lustrous reddish color over time.
Sugar maple
IFUJI uses Sugar Maple from Hokkaido and Tohoku that is felled in winter. Sugar Maple sawn in the harsh winter is less prone to mold and discoloration, and dries while maintaining its characteristic white wood surface. The wood grain is gentle, dense, and hard. It contains a lot of moisture and warps significantly when dried, so it is not often used for furniture, but it is an indispensable wood for IFUJI because the colors of the plant dyes are so beautiful.
Techniques
Plant dyeing
Dyeing wood with plants is an ancient technique,
A technique that is rarely used in modern times:
This is one of the characteristics of IFUJI's manufacturing.
Third black dyeing
A black dyeing technique using logwood that was introduced to Japan during the Meiji period. It is called Sando Kuro (three times means "a lot") because it is a dyeing method that draws out a deep black color through multiple dyeing processes.
Maple plant dyeing
This color is unique to IFUJI, and is created by discoloring sugar maple using a special mordanting method.
This technique was established after repeated trial and error, inspired by the color of driftwood found in a dam lake in the mountains of Gifu.