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"What 'Woodworkers Week NAGOYA_SINCE2008' is"

Jun 13
12 min read

Updated: 3 days ago


Kyoto Sumiyama Asakura Woodworks will not be exhibiting at "Woodworker Week NAGOYA" this year, 2026.


However, for 16 years, we’ve continued to participate, meeting everyone and experiencing the everyday routine of making things steadily in Kyoto, as well as the learning and mutual influence that comes from the annual Woodworker Week NAGOYA. We feel that this repeated cycle has had a great effect.


We have always approached the "40 Wood Furniture Makers Exhibition" as a long-term exhibition to make our presence known over several years, and each year we have devoted ourselves fully to presenting new works there.


Here’s an overview of "Woodworkers Week NAGOYA."


What Woodworker Week NAGOYA is: It’s the largest event in Japan where you can see works from woodworkers from all over the country. Since 2008, every year in early summer, many woodworkers gather in Nagoya from all over Japan, holding exhibitions, forums (lectures, study sessions), workshops, and more in various locations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many online woodworker forums were held. Organizer: Woodworker Week Executive Committee https://www.woodworkers.jp/


The event is for the general public, people involved in design and planning, students aspiring to work in woodworking, people in the woodworking industry, and a wide range of visitors.


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The "40 Wood Furniture Makers Exhibition" at Woodworker Week NAGOYA is currently ongoing.


[Dates] June 19 (Fri) – June 21 (Sun), 2026, 10:00–18:30 (*Opens at 12:00 on the first day, closes at 17:00 on the last day)

[Location] Electrical Culture Hall, 5th Floor, East-West Gallery, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture


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*There are many other events as well. Each has different dates, so please check the details.


過去の40人展会場風景
過去の40人展会場風景

● 'Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2008' kicks off. First edition


Record of the 1st event held in 2008. The Woodworker Week Commemorative Forum featured "Work from the Wood Workshop – Thinking About Life Today" with Daisaku Cho and Masanori Moroyama.


'Exhibition of 30 Wood Furniture Makers'


Please check the Woodworker Week website for 'How Woodworker Week Came About' (text by Shinichiro Tani).

(The year when Asakura Woodworking hadn't participated yet. The historical context of that time: September 2008 (Heisei 20, Year of the Rat) — Lehman Shock, Beijing Olympics, Obama elected President, Great Sichuan Earthquake in China, Aso Cabinet inaugurated, first iPhone arrival in Japan, '6th Wooden Chairs in Everyday Life Exhibition')




● 'Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2009' Second Time

The forum featured Yoshifumi Nakamura, Tomio Murakami, Santaro Takahashi, and Shinichiro Tani.


The 2nd '40 Wood Furniture Makers Exhibition' was held at two venues.


(Asakura Mokko hadn't participated yet that year. They were building their workshop by themselves.

Events and context from 2009 (Heisei 21, Year of the Ox): Israeli army incursions in Gaza, President Obama in office, start of Japan's lay judge system, change of government, Democratic Party Hatoyama Cabinet, Ichiro and Matsui making waves in Major League Baseball, 'Twitter' as a buzzword, and the launch of 'Woodworker Network'.)





● "Woodworkers Week NAGOYA 2010" 3rd Edition


The forum included talks like "Discussing Japanese Life and Furniture with Kazuko Koizumi, Director of the Showa Life Museum," as well as an exhibition of 100 chairs by 57 artists from the 'Woodworkers Chairs Collection.' Hosted by Mr. Sakakibara, and many other events.

(Asakura Woodworks exhibited at this chair exhibition for the first time and participated in Woodworking Week for the first time. By chance, someone passing by liked our chair and spoke to us, and that encounter continues even 15 years later.)


2010 (Heisei 22, Year of the Tiger) – Background of the time: Haiti earthquake, intense heatwave, Vancouver Winter Olympics, South Africa FIFA World Cup, buzzword '〜now', quarterly magazine 'Ginka' discontinued)




● “Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2011” 4th Edition


The Woodworker Week Forum featured a talk show and a public process session with Masaharu Izaki on "My Own Chair Made with Calligrapher Kiyomi Yano and a Woodworker."


June 4-5, 2011: "40 Wood Furniture Makers Exhibition 2011" (Executive Committee Chairman: Kazuyuki Saita) at Electric Culture Hall, 5th Floor, East-West Gallery, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya. By the 4th edition, it officially carried the name "40 Wood Furniture Makers Exhibition." There was also a promotion where attendees could receive a stool by answering a survey.


Events of 2011 (Heisei 23, Year of the Rabbit): The March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake M9.0, death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, unrest in Egypt, collapse of dictatorships in the "Arab Spring," fall of the Italian government, major flooding in Thailand, Japan's women's soccer team winning the World Cup, release of LINE app, and the first "Sit and Compare Chair Exhibition" in Kobe.


(Asakura Woodworking participated in Woodworker Week for the second year. For the first time, they exhibited at the "40-People Wooden Furniture Exhibition." Around the time their child was born and they were busy with large custom orders, they attended Nagoya Woodworker Week. Toru stood alone in a single booth displaying only chairs, having narrowed down the category. "Next year, I'll do two booths and make new large furniture," he promised himself. (From a 2011 blog))





●The 5th "Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2012"


Woodworker Week Forum "Making Chairs, Sitting in Chairs"


Gallery talk in memory of Tomio Murakami, "Talking About People and Work," with Masaharu Izaki, Shinichiro Tani, and Eiaki Nishikawa


"40 Wood Furniture Exhibition 2012" (Chairman of the 40-Person Exhibition Committee: Kazuyuki Saida) 5th Floor, Denki Bunka Kaikan, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya City


(Events in 2012 (Year of the Dragon, Heisei 24): London Olympics, Tokyo Skytree, Low-cost airline Peach, Osprey deployment in Okinawa, Myanmar democratization progress, Yamanaka receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)


(Asakura Woodworking had been participating in the week for three years. "From April, I started taking my child to and from daycare, and I thought the workshop work would accelerate all at once, but at first, my child would get a fever and I had to go pick them up, or adults would catch colds and end up bedridden, so things didn’t go as planned. Deadlines were approaching. Somehow, we completed the new works, a large walnut cabinet and a large cherry chest, and it was a deeply moving first exhibition across two booths.")





●"Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2013," 6th Edition


At the Woodworker Week Forum, Nobu Shimazaki gave a lecture on "The Future of Chairs by Woodworkers."


"40-Person Exhibition of Wooden Furniture 2013" (Executive Committee Chair: Kazuyuki Saita) held at Denki Bunka Kaikan 5th Floor, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya


(Events in 2013 (Heisei 25, Year of the Snake): 7,000 people affected by a typhoon in the Philippines, Algerian hostage crisis, start of Abenomics, Tokyo 2020 Olympics decided, and hospitality: both Izumo Taisha (every 60 years) and Ise Jingu (every 20 years) had their shrine reconstructions in the same year (first time in 60 years since 1953))


(This was my 4th year participating in the week. I displayed a new work, a decorative shelf with a walnut front I had planed.)




● "Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2014" - 7th edition


"40 Wood Furniture Exhibition 2014" (40-person Exhibition Executive Committee Chairman: Kazuyuki Saita) 5th Floor, Denki Bunka Kaikan, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya


(Events at the time in 2014 (Year of the Horse, Heisei 26): Winter Olympics in Sochi, Ebola outbreak, Russia's annexation of Crimea, consumption tax raised to 8% for the first time in 17 years, Hiroshima landslide disaster, STAP cell paper fabrication, Kei Nishikori runner-up at the US Open, 70th anniversary of Matsumoto Mingei Furniture, 30th anniversary of Matsumoto Craft Fair)


(I participated in the week for the fifth time and exhibited new works: a maple box, a dining table with splayed legs, and framed pieces)





● "Woodworking Week NAGOYA 2015" 8th Edition


The forum featured Takahiro Yoshino on "Chair Fitting and International Exchange of Woodworking Techniques."


A joint seminar with woodworking schools was also held.


"40 Wood Furniture Exhibition 2015" (40 People Exhibition Executive Committee Chair Kazuyuki Saita) at Denki Bunka Kaikan 5th Floor, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya




Events of 2015 (Heisei 27, Year of the Goat): Islamic extremist terrorism, Paris Agreement, Greek financial crisis, US-Cuba diplomatic normalization, 70 years after the war, Security-related laws enacted, Hokuriku Shinkansen opened, reducing Tokyo-Kanazawa travel to 2.5 hours, mandatory SIM unlock for mobile carriers, iPhone SE released.


(This was my 6th year participating in the week. I displayed new works including a zelkova corner side table, a dovetail TV board, and Pinocchio.)





● "Woodworkers Week NAGOYA 2016" – 9th Edition


The forum featured Kenji Suda with "Stories of Woodcraft". "The Story of Van Gogh's Chair."


"40 Wood Furniture Exhibition 2016" (Chairman of the 40-People Exhibition Executive Committee: Kazuyuki Saita) held at 5th floor, Electric Culture Hall, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya


(Events at that time in 2016 [Heisei 28, Year of the Monkey]: Trump won the U.S. presidential election, the Paris Agreement came into effect, the Kumamoto earthquake, the Emperor indicated his intention to abdicate, the 90th National Art Exhibition, and "Kobo kara no Kaze" won the Mecenat Award)


(7th year participating in the week. Exhibited chestnut-framed door cabinet, round chestnut table, and desk. First exhibition since the staff increased)





● "Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2017" 10th Edition


The forum was "Thinking About the Era of Woodworkers ~ A Talk with Masanori Moriyama from the Craft Museum ~"


"40 Wood Furniture Exhibition 2017" (40-person Exhibition Executive Committee Chair: Kazuyuki Saita)

5th Floor, Electric Culture Hall, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya


Events in 2017 (Heisei 29, Year of the Rooster): Adoption of the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty, Trump administration takes office in the US, Kim Jong-nam killed at a Malaysian airport, Heavy rain in northern Kyushu, Postcard price 62 yen, the emperor planned to abdicate at the end of April 2019, Instagram-worthy: "40 Years Gathering at the Wood Study Meeting", "Museum 'Eki' KYOTO 20th Anniversary Exhibition of Treasures of Kyoto by Tatsuaki Kuroda", "Windsor Chair Exhibition — British Chairs Loved by the Japanese"


(Participating in the week for the 8th year. Displayed a large new Claro walnut table. Also showed Van Gogh's chair)





● 'Woodworkers Week NAGOYA 2018' - 11th Edition


A place where 'users,' 'makers,' and 'hands that support a life with wood' meet and connect to the future.


The forum was about 'living as a woodworker.'


'40 Wood Furniture Exhibition 2018' (Executive Committee Chair: Kazuyuki Saita) 5th Floor, Denki Bunka Kaikan, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya


(Events at the time in 2018 (Year of the Dog, Heisei 30): Winter PyeongChang Olympics, North Osaka Earthquake)


(Participating in the week for the 9th year. This year's new works included a chestnut urushi lacquered large display shelf, mitered corner tray, and other urushi lacquered furniture and small items)





● "Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2019" 12th edition


"40-People Wooden Furniture Exhibition 2019" (Exhibition Committee Chairman: Kazuyuki Saita)

5th Floor, Electric Culture Hall, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya


(Events at that time in 2019 (Heisei 31, from May 1 Reiwa, Year of the Boar): Reiwa era started, Shuri Castle in Okinawa burned down, consumption tax raised to 10%, Kyoto Animation fire incident, Ichiro retired, first COVID-19 case appeared in December 2029)


(This was my 10th year participating in the week. That year, I created a large space in Sumiyama, Kyoto, to display box furniture,

so in Nagoya, I mainly exhibited new chairs, side tables, and stools.)





　

● 'Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2020' (13th edition) started the forum online.


The '40 Wood Furniture Exhibition' was canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus.


(This was my 11th year participating in the week.)


I took over as chairman of the 40-person exhibition from the previous chair, Mr. Saita, and started recruiting exhibitors in January, but the coronavirus was discovered in January and spread worldwide.


However, by July 2020, led by Mr. Shinichiro Tani, the Woodworker Forum started online under 'Woodworker Week to learn woodworking together,' and videos began being actively uploaded and posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@%E6%9C%A8%E5%B7%A5%E5%AE%B6%E3%83%95%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%83%A0ube


Videos about books written by Mr. Kenzosuke Hayakawa on Tatsuaki Kuroda:


'Stories of Woodworking 1993,' 'World of Woodworking 1996,' 'Tatsuaki Kuroda: Learning from Woodworking Pioneers 2000' can be found here:



'Woodworker Forum: Books Recommended by Woodworkers Part 2'





● 'Woodworkers Week NAGOYA 2021' (14th edition) held many forums online.


'Exhibition of 40 Wood Furniture Makers' was canceled due to COVID.


Although it was canceled, we reviewed the budget for the Exhibition of 40 Wood Furniture Makers and reformed it in a more sustainable direction.


On the very first Instagram post of the 'Exhibition of 40 Wood Furniture Makers,' we created posts of past Woodworkers Week events and the historical pamphlets of the 40-person exhibition. (I've been participating in the Week for 12 years)


(Events in 2021 (Reiwa 3): Tokyo Olympics, start of COVID vaccination, Prime Minister Kishida takes office)






● Held for the first time in two years: 'Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2022' (15th edition)


'40 Wood Furniture Artists Exhibition.'


It was held with masks, but it was a meeting where we really felt grateful to be able to see each other face to face.


At the same venue, there was a gallery talk-style event called '4 Stories Told by Woodworkers,' which didn’t require a reservation.


Content that both users and makers can enjoy. To pass on the culture of wood to the next generation.


(Participating in the week for the 13th year. Created four types of posters for the 40-person exhibition as an executive committee member. Displayed a Buddhist altar and an old chestnut-colored table.)






● 'Woodworkers Week NAGOYA 2023' (16th edition)


'40-People Wood Furniture Exhibition' (Chairman of the 40-People Exhibition Organizing Committee: Masaaki Ota) 5th Floor, Denki Bunka Kaikan, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya


Kyoto Chair Exhibition CHAIR MAKER TAKAYAMA JAPAN (Takayama) SAW (Sapporo Association of Woodworkers) (Sapporo) One-Chair Exhibition (Hyogo) SO BYOUNG JIN and His Disciples Exhibition (Korea), and other group exhibitions besides individual exhibitors were all gathered that year.


(This was my 14th year participating in the week. As for Kyoto Sumiyama Asakura Woodwork, we were right in the middle of constructing our new atelier in Sumiyama, so we declined joining the organizing committee and instead participated with a single chair in the 'Kyoto Chair Exhibition' booth.


As a 40-People Exhibition, we also ran an ad in the Chunichi Shimbun, and our participants from Korea were happy as well.)






●"Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2024" (17th Edition)


"40-People Wood Furniture Exhibition" (Chair of the 40-People Exhibition Committee: Masaaki Ota) 5th Floor, Electric Culture Hall, 2-2-5 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya


(This is my 15th year participating in the week. Since my new atelier in Sumiyama, Kyoto is completed, I’m showing the Kenpōnashi table and the O Chair with rattan weaving for the first time to share the news.)





● 'Woodworker Week NAGOYA 2025' (18th Edition)


A stamp rally for the entire Woodworker Week will also be held.


With permission from Mr. Uno of Uno Furniture Workshop, who will appear at the 2025 forum, we created stamps designed by @unoh_m MIHO UNOH for the Woodworker Week stamp rally. (The 2026 stamp rally was not held because the 40-person exhibition period and other periods were apart.)


We hope the next generation of woodworkers will enjoy using these stamps.


(Finally, my long-cherished plan to participate in Woodworker Week NAGOYA with a solo exhibition came true. The solo exhibition was held at Shabunoki-kan on Nagoya Bunka-no-Michi.


Over the 9-day period, the exhibition was viewed by 706 visitors.)


Last year, 2025, marked the 15th anniversary of Kyoto Sumiyama Asakura Woodworks.


I finally got to hold my long-awaited solo exhibition in Nagoya at Shumokukan.


Bunka no Michi Shumokukan has hosted events like the 'Chair Group Exhibition at Shumokukan' as part of 'Woodworkers Week NAGOYA,' as well as 'Chair Exhibition Critiques by Professor Shin Shimazaki.'


Here are some past photos from the woodworkers week events at Bunka no Michi Shumokukan.



40-Person Wooden Furniture Exhibition 2025

2025/6/7中日新聞に木工家ウィークNAGOYA木の家具40人展は掲載されました
2025/6/7中日新聞に木工家ウィークNAGOYA木の家具40人展は掲載されました



To all the past members of the organizing committee for Woodworker Week,


Thank you so much for all your support over the years.


The current representatives: Hisashi Kaku, Shinichiro Tani, Masaharu Izaki, Yukito Nakamura, Kei Watanabe, and also the folks at Canna Furniture Shop, you’ve all been a great help for a long time.


For the main event of "Woodworker Week NAGOYA," the "40 Wood Furniture Exhibition,"


the first committee chair, Kazuyuki Saita,


the first committee member, Mikio Fukuoka from Trunk,


and the first committee member, Nakai from Nakai Woodworking,


these three have been supporting it all along for a long time.


The current representative is Masaaki Ota.




  • ．【木の家具40人展 2026】出展者情報

  • 岩手 山口家具 @iwaizumi_yamaguchi_kagu山形 NORTH WITCH @northwitch_products茨城 雲潤 @urumi_furniture千葉 あきや製作所 @akiya_seisaku東京 荒木 麻由香 @mayuka_9神奈川 Yedit @yedit468石川 Frey design susumukai長野 輪嶋屋木工芸長野 株式会社やまとわ @yamatowa_ina長野 谷進一郎 @tani.ww長野 中川裕司岐阜 Slow WOOD CREATE @slowwoodcreate岐阜 はしもと図工室 @hasimoto_zukou静岡 ウッドワーカーズ https://hideyukiinage.jp静岡 太田正明 @masaaki.wood.portfolio静岡 Hand Works Factory @hand.works.factory愛知 柴田 航 http://shibatawataru.web.fc2.com/愛知 りんせいworks @rinsei.w285愛知 工房てつ @kouboutetsuwoodwork三重 工房南 @kou_bou_minami三重 Zackary Kitchen @zackary_furniture滋賀 AKIRA WOODWORK @akira_woodwork京都 YOKIGI @taira_yokigi京都 木工房OKA @mokkoubouoka京都 𠮷田屋 @seiya_yoshida_大阪 木しごと @kishigoto大阪 市川秀治 @hide602021大阪 賀來寿史 @kakuhisa兵庫 TENON合同会社 @haruya_kondo兵庫 家具デザイン研究所奈良 FRONDA （フロンダ） @takamitsuhonda岡山 DK Furniture @dkfurniture.japan韓国 Red Chairmaker @red.chairmaker


    【開催】2026年6月19日金〜6月21日(日)10:00〜18:30※初日開場12:00最終日閉場17:00

    【場所】電気文化会館 5 階 東西ギャラリー愛知県名古屋市中区栄二丁目2番5号

    【Wood Furniture 40-People Exhibition 2026】Exhibitor Information


    Iwate Yamaguchi Furniture @iwaizumi_yamaguchi_kagu

    Yamagata NORTH WITCH @northwitch_products

    Ibaraki Urumi @urumi_furniture

    Chiba Akiya Workshop @akiya_seisaku

    Tokyo Mayuka Araki @mayuka_9

    Kanagawa Yedit @yedit468

    Ishikawa Frey design susumukai

    Nagano Wajimaya Woodcraft

    Nagano Yamato Corporation @yamatowa_ina

    Nagano Shinichiro Tani @tani.ww

    Nagano Hiroshi Nakagawa

    Gifu Slow WOOD CREATE @slowwoodcreate

    Gifu Hashimoto Studio @hasimoto_zukou

    Shizuoka Woodworkers https://hideyukiinage.jp

    Shizuoka Masaaki Ota @masaaki.wood.portfolio

    Shizuoka Hand Works Factory @hand.works.factory

    Aichi Wataru Shibata http://shibatawataru.web.fc2.com/

    Aichi Rinsei Works @rinsei.w285

    Aichi Workshop Tetsu @kouboutetsuwoodwork

    Mie Workshop Minami @kou_bou_minami

    Mie Zackary Kitchen @zackary_furniture

    Shiga AKIRA WOODWORK @akira_woodwork

    Kyoto YOKIGI @taira_yokigi

    Kyoto Mokko-bo OKA @mokkoubouoka

    Kyoto Yoshidaya @seiya_yoshida_

    Osaka Kishingoto @kishigoto

    Osaka Hideharu Ichikawa @hide602021

    Osaka Hisashi Kaku @kakuhisa

    Hyogo TENON LLC @haruya_kondo

    Hyogo Furniture Design Lab Nara FRONDA @takamitsuhonda

    Okayama DK Furniture @dkfurniture.japan

    Korea Red Chairmaker @red.chairmaker


    【Dates】Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, 2026, 10:00–18:30

    *Opening on the first day at 12:00, closing on the last day at 17:00


    【Venue】Denki Bunka Kaikan, 5th Floor, East-West Gallery

    2-2-5 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture


    編集済み · 2週間前

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DatePublished：2025/2/16

DateModified：2025/4/24

DateModified2：2026/6/19

DateModified2：2026/9/13

Author：Reina Asakura

Kyoto Sumiyama Asakura Mokkou

Quality Furniture Design & Woodworks


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