MATERIAL

"Paulownia" was valued by the nobility
and there was a reason why they loved it.

Since ancient times, paulownia has been revered as an auspicious wood that
brings happiness. It was famous for its good fortune as a tree where the
phoenix (a bird that brings happiness) perched. In addition to its nobl image,
the "characteristics" of the wood itself also possess outstanding qualities
that make it suitable to be used in "furniture for a prosperous family."

Fire
Resistance

One of the characteristics of paulownia wood is its well-known high resistance to fire. There are even stories of past fires in which the contents of chests remained unburned after the fires were extinguished. It has been scientifically proven in recent years that paulownia wood is extremely flame-resistant compared to other woods.

Moisture
Control

Paulownia is sensitive to external conditions and is an excellent material that prevents excessive humidity from entering inside. In addition, a finely crafted and high-precision chest, which has been meticulously finished by skilled craftspeople, allows for expansion on its surface when humidity rises.
This prevents even a drop of water from entering the interior.

Insect
Resistance

Insect infestation, which is a concern when storing clothing, is not a problem with paulownia chests. Paulownia wood contains large amounts of components such as sesamin, paulownin, and tannin, which repel insects.

Azuma's Expertise

100 Years of Discerning wood.

Azuma started out in the lumber business in 1891 and has cultivated an "eye for wood" for over 100 years. This discerning ability has been passed down to the fifth generation, who can assess the quality of lumber just by looking at the logs and predicting how the boards will turn out. Sometimes we procure entire trees from the mountains, and we have to deal with a considerable number of logs. As a result, our eye for paulownia is unparalleled.

The Craftsman Himself Selects The Wood

In general, craftsmen who make paulownia chests rarely go into the mountains to look for the wood. At Azuma, we have the knowledge and skills to carry out the entire process of paulownia chest making, and we also take responsibility for sourcing the wood ourselves. By envisioning the final chest as we cut the wood, we are able to make full use of the potential of paulownia in the production of our chests.