Japanese Furniture

It is an ancient Japanese tradition to sit on the floor. Thus, as a result of this sitting culture, furniture is small and extra low. Japanese cabinets can be distinguished from European cabinets by the absence of supporting feet: a cabinet is placed directly on the wooden floor or tatami mat. Therefore, opening doors were not very functional, though sliding panels were ideal. Cabinets were thus often made using various sliding panels or a few shelves, though a combination of these elements is also found in many cabinets. The front of the cabinets thus offered many variation possibilities.

Traditional Japanese cabinets are unique pieces of furniture which were made to order: the client decided the wood type(s), the size, the shape and the lay-out. Every cabinet had a specific purpose, which was also represented in the name of the cabinet. It is possible to determine the origin of a cabinet – the city and/or the region – by the forged hardware (and also cast iron after 1880).