An exhibition celebrating fifteen years of Ishinomaki Laboratory's furniture-making journey opens at Karimoku Commons Tokyo. Born from the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the exhibition traces how a simple idea—creating everyday essentials by hand—evolved into a philosophy that has spread across Japan and beyond.
From Necessity to Philosophy
On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck Japan. Amid confusion and uncertainty, people began to reflect on what was truly needed for everyday life and started creating those necessities with their own hands. Through the practice of design and a spirit of DIY, Ishinomaki Laboratory's approach to making things took its first steps.
Fifteen years have passed since then. Over time, the city of Ishinomaki has continued to change, and the community surrounding Ishinomaki Laboratory has grown. What began as a local practice of making in Ishinomaki has gradually expanded across Japan and beyond, extending to other parts of the world through the "Made in Local Project," a series of collaborations with manufacturers in diverse regions.
A Consistent Approach to Making
Though environments and relationships may change, the approach to making remains constant. Attentive to the qualities of available materials and the structures they call for, and guided by an imagination of use and human connection, these thoughts take form as furniture.
Rooted in Ishinomaki, this way of thinking has been passed on through encounters with diverse places and people, unfolding into forms shaped by each unique environment.
15 Iconic Designs
The exhibition brings together 15 iconic pieces of furniture that have shaped the history and evolution of Ishinomaki Laboratory. They are traces of thoughts and experiments layered over time, quietly reflecting the values of the workshop.
The featured designers include:
- Daniel Schofield
- Drill Design
- Industrial Facility
- Keiji Ashizawa
- Koichi Futatsumata
- Naoki Terada
- Norm Architects
- Philippe Malouin
- Studio Adjective
- Taiji Fujimori
- Tomoko Azumi
- Torafu Architects
This exhibition is not simply a place to display products. Through furniture, it offers an opportunity to experience the way of making that has spread from Ishinomaki over the past fifteen years, along with the relationships between people and the thoughts directed toward local communities.
Exhibition Details
Dates: March 11 (Wednesday) to April 23 (Thursday), 2026
Opening Hours: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Venue: Karimoku Commons Tokyo
2-22-5 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Admission: Free
Co-organizers: ISHINOMAKI LABORATORY, Keiji Ashizawa Design
Support: Karimoku Furniture Inc.
Exhibition Text: Jun Kato
Video Production:
- Nobu Arakawa (Filmmaker)
- Gaku Kamimura (Video Editing)
- Masaya Tamura (Sound)
- Torn Studios (Colorist)
Graphic Design: Tomoya Kaishi
Styling: Yumi Nakata
About the Founders
Keiji Ashizawa
Born in Tokyo in 1973, Keiji Ashizawa graduated from Yokohama National University's Department of Architecture. He established Keiji Ashizawa Design in 2005 and is a founder of Ishinomaki Laboratory. Under the motto "Honest Design," he emphasizes craftsmanship while designing across architecture, interiors, furniture, and lighting.
His portfolio includes TRUNK(HOTEL) YOYOGI PARK, BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE locations in Japan and abroad, and product collaborations with Karimoku Furniture, KOKUYO, and various international brands.
Takahiro Chiba
Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1972, Chiba graduated from high school and studied architecture in Hokkaido before returning home to work as a sushi chef in his family's restaurant. After the 2011 earthquake, he became involved in Ishinomaki Laboratory's activities.
Entrusted with the role of workshop manager for his manual dexterity in DIY and communication skills with local citizens, he now produces "The Originals" series at the Ishinomaki workshop and operates Ishinomaki Home Base, a new open facility symbolizing the city's renewal.
About Ishinomaki Laboratory
Ishinomaki Laboratory is a furniture brand born in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Starting as a "local making place" for recovery and reconstruction immediately after the disaster, it supported DIY activities and carried out facility repairs and renovations. The workshop created spaces for the community to envision the city's renewal together.
Early highlights include collaborating with local high school students to make benches for outdoor film screenings and partnering with Herman Miller's disaster relief program in furniture-making workshops.
By combining "handmaking" with design expertise from accomplished designers both in Japan and abroad, Ishinomaki Laboratory incorporated as a company in 2014. The workshop now offers an attractive product lineup for sale locally and beyond, produced by Ishinomaki staff.
In 2024, the company partnered with Karimoku Furniture, launching two series: "Maker Pack" produced by Karimoku Furniture, and "The Originals" made in Ishinomaki. While rooted in Ishinomaki, the workshop also serves as a hub for a network that creates products and volunteers according to local environments and contexts worldwide under the name "Made in Local."
Official Website: https://ishinomaki-lab.org
Shop: https://kobo-shop.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishinomakilab/
Fifteen years on, with Ishinomaki as its point of origin and alongside people in many places, Ishinomaki Laboratory continues its practice of making.
