The city of Asahikawa is situated in the center of Hokkaido, the northernmost island in Japan.
The history of furniture making in Asahikawa began with a milling factory that was built in 1890. Accompanying the rapid urban development that was in full flow at the time, furniture craftsmen and joiners flocked to Asahikawa from all areas of the country, and began creating wooden furniture and other items for daily life. Asahikawa is such an attractive location for wood craftsmen because of its excellent environment in which trees can thrive, providing the perfect fine materials for furniture making. This combination of natural resources and concentration of professional craftsmanship ensured Asahikawa’s growth as the most prosperous furniture manufacturing region in Japan.

Asahikawa Furniture Industry Cooperative was established in 1949 to promote wooden furniture and to contribute to the revitalization of the local area. “Asahikawa Furniture” is now well known in Japan and throughout the world as a symbol of fine wooden products and outstanding craftsmanship.

The most unique characteristic of Asahikawa Furniture is the “pursuit of design”. Asahikawa craftsmen combine esthetically pleasing designs with practical utilities into beautiful wooden furniture that is loved and used for generations.

Our main event is the triennial International Furniture Design Fair Asahikawa (IFDA), which has been held since 1990. The International Furniture Design Competition, which is the main event of the fair, is known in the furniture industry as a truly remarkable competition. The competition provides an ideal opportunity for existing manufacturers to display prototypes or launch new products, and for new, up-and-coming designers to showcase their new and innovative ideas. The competition promotes a wide range of new ideas and skills, and presents a challenge to the furniture industry to continue innovation and growth.

The cooperative has also participated in international furniture fairs such as IMM Cologne (Germany) and Furniture China in Shanghai. Such activities have lead to our proud reputation for excellent craftsmanship and cutting-edge design.

The concept of “craftsmanship” has been passed down and has evolved through generations. Nowadays “craftsmanship” is not only about working by hand. Advanced machinery has been developed to handle detailed and accurate operations efficiently over a short space of time. It is this combination of human “craftsmanship” with modern technology that has enabled the supply of quality furniture to the market at fair prices.

The cooperative currently has more than 35 member manufacturers in and around the Asahikawa area, who design, develop, and manufacture high quality products with the personal touch of the craftsman in charge.