Six designers transform cedarwood trees into public furniture at Tokyo's Ginza Six

Six international designers have created a series of cedarwood objects for the 'A Tree' project, now displayed at Ginza Six in Tokyo. Faye Toogood, Max Lamb, Rio Kobayashi, Fabien Cappello, Siin Siin, and Kuo Duo each transformed a single tree from Yoshino's ancient forests into functional pieces like chairs and benches. The project, led by architect Keisuke Nakamura of Daikei Mills, aims to connect urban visitors with forestry heritage through public interaction. Yoshino sugi cedar, cultivated for over 500 years, is prized for its straight grain and aroma, used historically in temples and sake barrels. Collaborations with timber specialists Houei Forestry and Ohtani Wood, plus producer E&Y, supported the creations. Toogood's 'Five Spirits, One Sugi' series features animal-inspired sculptures from a 25-meter tree, reflecting spiritual forest experiences. Lamb's 'Cedar is a Soft Wood' was inspired by Ohtani-san's bandsaw mastery, while Kobayashi's 'Edisni tuo' furniture inverts expectations with exposed bark. Cappello designed a bench for shared public seating, and Siin Siin combined axe-split wood with stainless steel joints. Kuo Duo's 'Kiri Kabu' reinterpreted tree stumps using heartwood and sapwood contrasts. The collection, with phases added last autumn and recently, will evolve until autumn at Ginza Six, with a final phase planned next year.