What is the Concept Behind the Highly Anticipated Collaboration Brand 'HARU'?

'Taiyo no Shita' offers a curated selection of items designed to enrich daily life, including furniture from Karimoku Furniture's newly launched brand 'HARU,' Fujiwood's 'nagi,' and Takumi Kōgei's 'LAND&SUN,' alongside various daily necessities and original food products.

Beyond retail, the space also plans to host collaborations with various experts and events or workshops that convey the background of craftsmanship.



Particularly noteworthy is the project Karimoku Furniture and Mr. Kobayashi have been developing for about three years. The first collection of 'HARU,' unveiled now, utilizes Nara oak from the Tohoku region. This embodies the shared aspiration of both parties: 'to create items of superior quality that gain character through long use and cohabitation, becoming heirlooms passed down through generations.'

Mikiya Kobayashi, who oversaw the design, explained, 'Where there is an object, there is space; where there is space, there is an object. Valuing this relationship and considering it to the fullest, we aimed for a design that, both in volume and form, would not impose on the space, appearing light and airy. However, simply aiming for lightness would compromise structural integrity, leading to visual and tactile unease, making it impractical. Therefore, based on Karimoku's seating comfort research, we focused on achieving this lightness while ensuring essential functions were met, through repeated prototyping.'



The sofa, while compact in width, offers a spacious seating experience due to its slim armrests. The low arm height also allows it to function as a daybed, with legs extended. The back cushions can be moved to the arm side to serve as a pillow.

For the tables and shelves, the concept is an extension of space, while chairs are seen as closer to people. Thus, similar to the shelves, the edges from under the tabletop to the legs are chamfered, creating a light design that doesn't feel imposing. The simple construction of the tabletop and legs allows it to pair seamlessly with various spaces and chairs.

The shelves, constructed horizontally and vertically with curved components at the edges, gain a sense of softness, making the wood edges appear thinner and creating a light, airy composition reminiscent of a gentle breeze. Although the interior space of the shelves appears curved, the surfaces that actually support objects maintain a horizontal and vertical plane.