Furniture brand Karimoku has opened Oyado Mas, an exhibition of furniture and accessories by its Mas label, showcased in an environment designed to resemble an inn complete with a reception and guest room.
Karimoku's Mas brand, which makes products using Japanese woods, provided the furniture for the exhibition, located in the Karimoku Commons Tokyo showroom in the city's Aoyama neighbourhood.
The company also presented designs by a number of other Japanese brands, most of which it previously collaborated with in the Japanmade Vol 1 exhibition for Copenhagen design week 3 Days of Design.
The exhibition features lighting by New Light Pottery, washi paper by Nao Tesuki Washi, tableware by Sekisaka, candles by Sheep and bedding by Sinso.
The furniture and accessories were combined to create what Karimoku describes as "an imaginary oyado", or Japanese inn, designed to convey a sense of comfort to visitors.
Visitors enter Oyado Mas through a noren, a Japanese fabric divider that is usually used at the entrance of inns.
At the start of the exhibition, they are welcomed by an area designed to resemble the reception of an inn, which also has a shop that sells smaller pieces from the exhibition.
The front area also includes a small lounge furnished with Mas chairs.
The showroom then opens up into a second exhibition space designed as the guestroom of the inn, complete with a bedroom and living room area.
The idea of showcasing the furniture in a more residential setting than usual came about as Mas now has a focus on designs with a distinctly Japanese feel.
"From this year, MAS has adopted 'New Japanese Comfort' as a phrase that embodies our brand," Mas design director Wataru Kumano told Dezeen.
"In addition to the ergonomic comfort expected of furniture, we aim to let users experience a sense of comfort that can be felt through the background of materials unique to Japan and highly developed woodworking techniques," he continued.
At Oyado Mas, the brand also aimed to underline the hospitality experience by serving tea made from plants found in Japanese forests, as well as sweets.
According to Kumano, oyados are especially associated with Japan and quite different from hotels, which made the theme suitable for Mas' furniture's new concept.
Among the pieces that will be on sale in the showroom are a new fragrance by Mas and Sheep, a spoon by Sekisaka and Mas' WK Stool.
"We believe that the setting of an 'oyado' provides an ideal context in which to embody this new brand concept," Kumano said.
"By creating an 'oyado' spatial experience that cannot be fully expressed through furniture alone, together with Japanese lighting, tea, food, paper, tools, fragrance and textiles, we hope to create a place that stimulates the creation of new values through objects," he continued.
Mas chose the brands that are taking part in Oyado Mas as it had worked with most of them previously and thought they would create items suitable for the inn experience.
"We invited these brands and makers because they embody elements essential to the future of Japanese oyado experiences," Kumano said.
"With the exception of Sinso, we also exhibited alongside them at this year's 3 Days of Design, where we found that they share the same values as Mas."
Karimoku has previously focused on wood in its The Age of Wood exhibition, which was created together with Danish design duo Christian + Jade.
The photography is by Masaaki Inoue, Bouillon.
Oyado Mas is on show at Karimoku Commons Tokyo, 1F Gallery Space, from 19 September to 20 October. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
Project credits:
Organiser: Karimoku Furniture
Exhibition direction and graphics: Hiroaki Kawanami
Spatial direction: Wataru Kumano