Sakai Sangyo | 'buchi,' a Children's Wooden Product Brand Designed by Fumie Shibata
DESIGN / PRODUCT
March 12, 2015

Sakai Sangyo | 'buchi,' a Children's Wooden Product Brand Designed by Fumie Shibata


Sakai Sangyo


Designed by Product Designer Fumie Shibata


New Wooden Toy Brand "buchi" Debuts



In an era where opportunities to touch wood have diminished, we want to deliver high-quality wooden toys to children.
Sakai Sangyo, which has developed numerous wood education materials, has created the children's wooden product brand "buchi." The design was handled by product designer Fumie Shibata, known for her work on Omron's thermometers and Zojirushi's rice cookers.Fumie ShibataThe brand was unveiled at the exhibition "FOR STOCKISTS EXHIBITION" held at Jiyugakuen Myonichikan in Ikebukuro, running until September 7 (Friday).

Text by KAJII Makoto (OPENERS)




rumors | To the online store





The Charm of Wood: Gentleness and Warmth Felt by Those Who Touch It



A car toy that can be played with by rolling its wheels.By inserting the included wooden parts into the slits on the main body, the car can be connected to others to form a train. The design allows for different vehicle types depending on how it's played with, fostering imaginative storytelling.

A puzzle where children play by combining the outer square parts with the inner cross parts.Children can use the base to tidy up the pieces as if threading them onto a stick, with everything consolidating into a single block at the end.

Dominoes that produce a pleasant wooden sound when toppled.Arranging them using the colored edges or threading a string through the holes allows both adults and children to play with uninhibited joy.



buchi | Fumie Shibata 04

buchi | Fumie Shibata 07




Featuring distinctively colored "edges" and utilizing a variety of wood types, the new brand "buchi" expresses the natural harmony woven by trees. Sakai Sangyo, the manufacturer based in Kiso, Nagano Prefecture, has leveraged its extensive experience in developing numerous wood education materials for children—including woodworking items, wooden toys, and DIY kits—to produce these high-quality wooden toys. They are finished by artisans boasting some of the finest techniques in Japan.

The collection also includes an assemble-yourself chair made entirely of slotted parts without screws or bolts, and a simple toy box designed to be repurposed as a magazine rack even in adulthood, highlighting the natural wood grain.



buchi | Fumie Shibata 10



FOR STOCKISTS EXHIBITION
A trade-only exhibition held jointly by approximately 100 companies,
covering interior design, fashion, and general goods.
Dates | September 5 (Wed) & 6 (Thu), 2012, 10:00–18:00
September 7 (Fri), 10:00–17:00
Venue | Jiyugakuen Myonichikan
2-31-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
http://www.forstockists.jp/





Product Inquiries
Sakai Sangyo Co., Ltd. Tokyo Sales Office, buchi Division
Tel. 03-3971-8828
http://www.buchi.co.jp

rumors | To the online store