Designer Keiji Ashizawa paid tribute to tradition with his recent creation entitled 'Hirosaki Knife Box,' which was produced for Wallpaper's Handmade collection of objects. This type of tool box is native to the northern Japanese city Hirosaki. Straying from the traditional design only slightly, Ashizawa chose to incorporate apple wood into his design to pay tribute to the region's famed apple production.
Like many of the traditional box makers, Keiji Ashizawa crafted the body of his box with Paulownia wood, while the connection rails were crafted using apple wood. The sliding drawers house hand-forged knives created by Hirosaki craftsman Toshihisa Yoshizawa in conjunction with the Nigara Knife company. These knives are a part of Hirosaki tradition and have been crafted in the region for the past ten centuries.
Created with sleek modern detailing and a new-found intuitive design, 'Hirosaki Knife Box' is a piece that not only demonstrated the impeccable skill of its craftsman, but also pays homage to a region of Japan steeped in tradition with strong cultural ties.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Traditional Tool Box Design
- Designers can innovate on traditional tool box designs by incorporating new materials or adding modern detailing.
- Hand-forged Knives
- There is opportunity to create a market for hand-forged knives by promoting their cultural and historical significance.
- Intuitive Design for Storage
- Designers can create storage solutions with intuitive design features that make accessing tools or objects faster and easier.
Where This Applies
- Woodworking Industry
- Incorporating different types of wood to tool box designs can yield new opportunities for woodworking companies.
- Kitchen Knife Industry
- Promoting hand-forged knives as cultural and historical items can help create a niche market for kitchen knife companies.
- Home Storage Solutions Industry
- Designing home storage solutions with intuitive features can create opportunities for companies in the home organization and storage industry.
