- Until the end of the Second World War in 1945, furniture in Japan was produced locally for local consumption in provincial cities by craftsmen. Furniture was sold through furniture shops and general stores, or else ordered directly from local craftsmen. Some craftsmen sold furniture at small stores where they lived and worked. The main types of products made were Japanese-style furniture, such as chests of drawers made< from paulownia, cupboards, Japanese-style sitting tables and braziers, and craftsmen's skills were passed on from master to apprentice.
- After Japan's defeat, a major transformation occurred in the furniture manufacturing industry. Postwar economic recovery increased demand for furniture and created a market where "if you made it you could sell it", which resulted in a shift toward mass production. As lifestyles grew more Westernized, output of Western furniture increased and wholesalers emerged in areas of consumption.
This trend led to the development of new woodworking machinery and the improvement of production techniques. The appearance on the scene of new materials, such as plywood and tissue, encouraged the mass production of furniture suites for newly weds, and the shift from local production/local consumption to national production/national consumption quickly gathered pace. The period of rapid economic growth saw furniture products become more highly developed, and there was a shift from manual craftsmanship to mass production using specialist machinery. In around 1960, wooden furniture industrial parks sprang up around the country, including in places such as, Asahikawa (in Hokkaido), Sakata (in Yamagata), Maebashi (in Gunma) and Okawa (in Kyushu).
- The majority of companies in the furniture manufacturing industry are SMEs and mini-businesses. Even in 1997, 79% of workshops had 10 or fewer employees and 89% had 20 or fewer. Only 1.1% of businesses had 100 or more employees.
- Shipment changes of wooden furniture were as follows:
| 1984 |
1,491,912 (million yen)
|
| 1987 |
1,559,467
|
| 1990 |
1,999,764
|
| 1993 |
1,785,655
|
| 1996 |
1,635,887
|
- Imports of wooden furniture were as follows:
| 1994 |
105,767 (million yen)
|
| 1995 |
122,555
|
| 1996 |
159,852
|
| 1997 |
168,178
|
| 1998 |
141,580
|
As imports were worth ¥25.9 billion in 1985, the figure of ¥141.6 billion for 1998 represents a 546.7% increase.
- In terms of cost, design and taste, the market for wooden furniture was dominated by domestic makers. Imports were formerly mainly furniture made from expensive Asian and tropical woods such as teak and rosewood, and classic Western-style furniture, but since the collapse of the bubble economy, sources of most types of wooden furniture have diversified. The main reasons for this are (1) the increase in cost of domestic furniture, (2) demand for low-priced products, and (3) diversification of consumer needs and increasing individuality. Types of furniture currently popular include modern classic, early American, Spanish country and traditional English style furniture.
- Demand for furniture for newly weds, which traditionally dominated the wooden furniture market, has dropped as a result of the increasing prevalence of fitted systems (such as fitted dressers, shoe cupboards and cupboards for tableware) in apartments. Furniture for newly weds is now coming to consist of furniture for living and dining rooms. As a consequence, demand for wooden living and dining room furniture is booming.
- Due to the lack of space in the typically small homes to be found in Japan, there is insufficient room for large foreign and especially Western furniture. Imports therefore need to be made more compact to fit Japanese homes.
- Early on, imported wooden furniture also tended to be mainly Japanese-style chests of drawers, cupboards and Japanese-style tables, but due to changing residential patterns and lifestyles in Japan, there has been a shift toward more Western-style furniture such as dining and living room suites and beds. Recently, furniture's role in interior design has become more important, and demand has diversified to include everything from antiques to the very latest in modern furniture.
- Sources of imports of wooden furniture to Japan in 1998 were as follows:
| Region |
Value (million yen)
|
% |
| Asia |
98,837 |
69.8 |
| Europe |
30,829 |
21.8 |
| North America |
11,288 |
8.0 |
South America
|
62 |
0.04 |
| Africa |
75 |
0.05 |
| Oceania |
488 |
0.3 |
The figures show that Asia accounts for some 70% of furniture exports to Japan.
Sources of imports by country were as follows:
| Country |
Value (million yen)
|
% |
| Thailand |
24,722 |
17.5 |
| China |
20,042 |
14.2 |
| Malaysia |
14,828 |
10.5 |
| Indonesia |
14,090 |
10.0 |
| Taiwan |
13,169 |
9.3 |
| Italy |
12,764 |
9.0 |
| USA |
9,185 |
6.5 |
South Korea
|
4,296 |
3.0 |
| Germany |
2,824 |
2.0 |
| Spain |
2,728 |
1.9 |
| Others |
22,931 |
16.1 |
- Exporting wooden furniture to Japan, it is important to take particular note of the followings:- (1) Tables should be finished so that they do not discolor when hot objects are placed on them. They need to have a polyurethane paint or nitrocellulose lacquer finish. (2) Temperature differences will cause wood that has not been completely seasoned to deform or crack, so use properly dried wood. (3) As the Japanese find the grain of wood attractive, do not use different grained woods in the same piece of furniture, and use grains that are as similar as possible. (4) Even invisible parts should be nicely painted or polished, otherwise the Japanese consumer will think the product is unfinished.
- Export changes of wooden furniture between 1985 and 1997 were as follows:
1985
|
26,162 (million yen)
|
1988
|
3,210
|
1991
|
4,411
|
1994
|
2,248
|
1997
|
1,604
|
Under the fixed exchange rate regime prior to the "Nixon shock" in 1971, the furniture-manufacturing districts of Hida and Takayama enjoyed a degree of success in exporting their output especially to the USA. However, the switch to a floating exchange rate reduced the advantages of exporting, and the shift to the domestic market continues to this day. At present, there is basically no effort being made to boost exports.
- The main distribution routes are as follows:
(1) Maker ? retailer ? consumer
(2) Maker ? furniture wholesaler ? retailer ? consumer, or Maker ? maker-distributor ? retailer ? consumer
(3) Contractors of house enlargement and reconstruction such as builders, designers, interior planners and interior coordinators involved may also take the place of retailers in routes (1) and (2).
(4) There are two retail routes: sales through stores such as specialist furniture stores, department stores, general merchandise stores, consumer and agricultural co-ops and home centers, and non-store sales through, for example, mail-order houses.
Figures: Japanese Ministry of Finance customs clearance data.
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