TOKYO – September 04, 2026 -- Gurunavi, Inc. will operate a dedicated pavilion, "JAPAN WOOD x CRAFTSMANSHIP," at MAISON & OBJET PARIS 2026, running September 10-14 at Paris Nord Villepinte, showcasing over 40 Japanese wood products alongside live craft demonstrations aimed at driving decarbonization and ESG-linked procurement in European markets.
Nationally certified master to demonstrate 1,000-year-old bending technique on-site
Yoshimasa Shibata, one of only 16 nationally certified "Traditional Craftsmen" of Odate Magewappa in Japan, will travel from Odate City, Akita Prefecture, to perform live demonstrations at the pavilion. Shibata will show "Mage-kakou," bending natural cedar softened in water above 80C using only fingertip technique, and "Kaba-toji," a stitching method using wild cherry bark to bind seams. Odate Magewappa traces its origins to bentwood vessels found in 10th-century volcanic ash deposits, with the craft formalized as an industry roughly 400 years ago.
Pavilion positions Japanese wood exports as ESG-compliant alternative for European buyers
The stand, located at Hall 6 - N120-P119, will display more than 40 items spanning Odate Magewappa, furniture, decor and tableware designed to integrate with contemporary European interiors. Organizers cite wood's natural properties -- thermal regulation, moisture absorption and antibacterial characteristics -- as functional selling points beyond aesthetics.
Japan cites 70% forest coverage to back sustainability claims for wood exports
Approximately 70% of Japan's land area is forested, with planted forests making up about 40% of that total -- compared with roughly 8% of global forest area classified as planted. Gurunavi frames this as the outcome of a sustained planting-and-logging cycle that supports continuous carbon absorption during tree growth, low-emission manufacturing, and ongoing carbon storage in finished wood goods, positioning the products as tools for buyers pursuing net-zero and ESG targets.
Project is subsidized by Japan's Forestry Agency to expand wood export demand
The pavilion operates as part of a Forestry Agency of Japan-subsidized initiative to promote Japanese wood products internationally, using MAISON & OBJET PARIS as a channel to connect traditional Japanese woodworking with commercial buyers in the European decor and design trade.