Hida Sangyo unveils a beautiful renovation of Yuhokan Hida Gallery, Japan
With its refurbished gallery in Takayama City, woodworking brand Hida Sangyo is keeping ancient Japanese artisanship alive.
Japan’s mountainous Hida region has a woodworking tradition that dates back 1,300 years. Its master carpenters constructed some of the country’s oldest temples and shrines. Founded just over a century ago, furniture firm Hida Sangyo continues this tradition. It initially made bentwood furniture but is now working to bring the region’s rich heritage into the modern era. A fine example of this is the recent renovation of its Yuhokan Hida Gallery, an exhibition space in Takayama City.
“Yuhokan was established to fulfil Hida Sangyo’s ambition of making this region the hallowed ground of woodworking,” says Teruhiko Nakagawa, the executive director of the company’s design division. Tokyo-based architect Yoshifumi Nakamura was tasked with renewing the space. “I was aware of Nakamura’s deep knowledge of woodworking and his many years spent documenting Japan’s disappearing handcrafts,” says Nakagawa. “So I asked him to help realise our dream.”
The architect brought furniture designer Makoto Koizumi, a former pupil, on board and they set about a full-scale renovation. Beyond the aluminium-framed entrance, the interiors make use of Hida Sangyo’s furniture and compressed cedar panels. There are handcrafted wooden stair rails, glass doors with igusa (rush grass) details and butterfly-shaped joints on a walnut-wood counter. The ground-floor shop stocks the company’s wares, as well as wood-fired ceramics by Shigeyoshi Morioka and dyed textiles by Yumi Ishikita. There’s also a tool section and staff offer guidance on care and maintenance, aiming to address declining access to woodworking equipment and know-how. Exhibitions and talks are held in the gallery upstairs, while the café serves Japanese dishes prepared with regional produce.
Yuhokan’s location in Takayama City – a popular tourist destination – helps it to nurture a deep appreciation of the area and its craftsmanship among visitors from far and wide. “Our aim is to present the beautiful woodworking of Japan and the tools and craftspeople involved in its production,” says Nakagawa. “It’s also about conveying that Hida is a place where Japanese culture and traditions live on.”
hidasangyo.com
This article is from Monocle’s March issue, The Monocle 100, which features our editors’ favourite 100 figures, destinations, objects and ideas.
Read the rest of the issue here.
