Interview with KOHTARO MORI / Mokkou Mori

*I want to create unique shapes that give a sense of motion - only possible by using planes.*

— Kohtaro Mori

JP

photography : IDREIT
words : Reiji Yamakura/IDREIT

Koharo Mori of Mokkou Mori is a furniture craftsman based in Shimoichi Town, Yoshino, Nara, who makes wooden products using Yoshino cedar. The most distinctive feature of his furniture derives from the combination of the unique shapes created by Japanese planes ‘Kanna’ and the material Yoshino cedar - a beautifully grained wood from Yoshino, one of Japan’s best-known cedar growing regions. We have longed to visit his workshop ever since we sat on a soft-touch stool made by Mori at the dumpling bar ‘Usagiya Kyoto (designed by cafe co.)’ in Gion, Kyoto, a few years ago. We recently had the opportunity to visit Mori’s workshop in a building that used to be a primary school, interview him, and see his craft work.

Stool ‘Like Something’ with hand-planed texture.

Mokkou Mori housed in a former primary school building.

— We heard you moved to Yoshino about 10 years ago. What brought you to Yoshino?

I started making furniture after studying at a vocational school. After graduation, I apprenticed for three and a half years at Tokunaga Furniture in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture. At the time, Mr Tokunaga received a request to use Yoshino cedar, and he realised the potential of Yoshino cedar. This led to a project to build a new furniture workshop in Yoshino in cooperation with Nara Prefecture and Shimoichi Town. And I started working for the workshop when we opened it in 2014.

— The use of Japanese planes is the most significant feature of your furniture - how long have you been using planes?

My furniture-making mentor, Tokunaga, had specialised in planes for about two years before I joined his studio, so I started using them there. Mr Tokunaga began using a plane when he met a skilled forge craftsman based in the historical blacksmithing town of Miki, where his furniture studio is located.

— Could you please elaborate on how the hand planer works well for you?

As a natural material, wood is not homogeneous and has hard and soft parts. When sanding, the softer areas tend to be dug out and the surface becomes uneven, but the planer has a sharp blade, when scraping the surface, it is possible to create beautiful lines and shapes while leaving the fibres. Besides, I have been using a plane for a long time because creating shapes while scraping by hand is great fun.

Seating surface being worked with a four-way warping plane.

— How many different planes do you use when you make chairs?

My toolbox has many different planes, but I predominantly use these five for chairs. These four-way planes are used for curved surfaces, such as the seat and back—one for rough sharpening and one for finishing. Depending on the shape, there are two types of Nanjing planes for shaving outlines. In addition to that, I use a small flat plane called mame-hira-ganna. You can buy planes, but I mainly use blades from the same forge craftsman as my master and make my handles from oak wood.

— Are more woodworkers using planes these days?

I assume it is not increasing. Today, large woodwork and furniture manufacturers use machines. Also, very few medium-sized workshops use planes as their primary tool. So the only way to work with planes is to be independent and do it yourself. I was fortunate enough to learn from a master, and I have continued to use the plane ever since. The plane-using population may not be increasing, but the number of young woodworkers around Yoshino has increased in the last seven or eight years, thanks to migration encouragement programmes.

Nanjing planes (right) with handles on both sides of the blade, and four-way planes (left) with curved body.

— That is fantastic news for the area. I have seen wooden countertops and stair railings that you worked on, but are chairs the main focus in your original products?

Yes, they are. Basically, tables are made to order, and shop counters are also produced based on consultation with the interior designers, through mutual exchange of ideas. My workshop is mostly a one-person production, and each piece inevitably takes time, so sometimes it is impossible to take on shop interior projects requiring too short delivery times.

— We understand a lot about your everyday work. From here, please share the design concept of some chairs. This unique stool is very comfortable to sit on. What is the name of it?

I named it ‘Like Something’ because it has a slightly unusual silhouette that looks like something. Two years ago, the operator of a rest stop in Oyodo Town asked me for three different stools, and this stool was one of the products I proposed at that time. As for the design, I aimed for an abstract form that looks like an object, and the legs are made of two boards supporting the seat at three points.

Detail of ‘Like Something’ stool showing the beauty of the straight grain of Yoshino cedar.

The seat is designed to fit the curves of the human body.

The legs are made of two planks, giving a different impression depending on the perspective.

— The asymmetrical shape is lovely as it changes appearance depending on the direction of view.

Let me add my thoughts when I designed it. Many people recently say that telling a story is essential to selling products, but I have a different perspective. My favourite products are those I can’t clearly explain in words, but I like them intuitively. I think the trigger that makes customers buy a product is when they instinctively feel that this is what they want, not by the grand narratives or background stories. For those reasons, I always want to create products that make people feel ‘I really like it somehow’. This stool was designed based on exactly those ideas.

— The unique shape was derived from something intuitive rather than conceptual keywords. And then, this comfortable armchair has a delicately curved back and seat that touches the body.

This chair was made when I started my practice as an easy chair with a lower seat. As with the other chairs, the seat is made of Yoshino cedar, and the legs are made of durable Japanese zelkova. For the curves of the back and seat, I sat on the chair again and again and shaped it to be comfortable to sit on. Recently, I was asked to make an adjusted version of this armchair for restaurant use, and I have just delivered a model with a higher seat to match their table.

Armchair. Mori used beautifully grained Yoshino cedar for the seat and back.

Zelkova-made armrests and legs are iron-dyed. Natural-coloured models are also available.

— Then tell us about these two contrasting stools.

The stool with a thick, round seat is called ‘Mushroom’. Once, an interior designer liked it so much and ordered a larger version for himself. At that time, I made a custom-made piece with a diameter 10 cm larger than the standard seat. The other is the ‘Jellyfish’ stool, which has a forward-tilted seat for comfort and thin legs. The Jellyfish was conceived for the rest stop I mentioned earlier, and I created the variation with a seat made not only from quarter-sawn wood but also from burl wood with a unique grain.

— Your chair, made from quarter-sawn Yoshino cedar, has an excellent smooth seat, seen from directly above; in addition, the grain that appears at the edges is exquisite. What do you keep in mind when making chairs?

Generally, Japanese cedar is perceived as cheap and knotty. However, Yoshino cedar is entirely different from other cedars. The grain is so straight and beautiful - the grain flow can be seen clearly, and the shaved shape is easily perceivable. And it’s not just about these stools, but when I make my original furniture, I always want to create shapes that give a sense of motion, only possible by using Japanese planes, rather than just making a flat surface.

— That’s fabulous. We understand that you intend the shape to make the most of the planer’s cutting characteristics. Do you use only quarter-sawn planks of Yoshino cedar?

Yes, I selected the quality cedar from the area and only purchased quarter-sawn timber. I generally store the wood cut from two or three logs outside the workshop and choose material from the bundle as required. Cutting in quarter-sawn does not yield many wide ones, so I use multiple timbers joined together if wide materials are needed.

Right after planing. The unique reddish colour of the cedar can be seen.

Stool ‘Petal’. The seat is made of Yoshino cedar and the legs of zelkova.

— Having visited here, I now have a better understanding of two facts: You are based in the Yoshino region; therefore, you are able to access high-quality Yoshino cedar. You transform that one-of-a-kind material into unique furniture through your design skills and plane techniques. Lastly, please let us know if you have any specific projects or products you would like to work on.

One thing I would like to do is to expand the range of furniture pieces that are sculptural, or more like design objects, such as ‘Like Something’. The other thing is that one day I would like to make a small yacht or canoe crafted with Yoshino cedar. This is because, before my furniture training, I worked at a yacht-manufacturing workshop for five years. I think the hull can be finished to show the natural grain of the cedar wood, so I aspire to build one of these beautiful boats in the future.

Mokkou Mori’s craftsmanship results from a fusion of beautifully grained Yoshino cedar and Japanese planes and Mori’s skill at meticulously handling them. Mori posts production photos on Instagram in both Japanese and English, leading to increased orders from overseas.

The distinctive textures and forms that appeal to people’s emotions, created by handicraft, stand out in today’s design industry, which has developed through mass production.