@OKUYAMATO NARA 奥大和 奈良

Your cutting boards and chopping boards have unique shapes. What kind of products are you creating and with what thoughts?

ーーYour cutting boards and chopping boards have unique shapes. What kind of products are you creating and with what thoughts?

Honda：Our main business is sawmilling aimed at local production and consumption of timber, but we also create simple woodworking products like cutting boards and chopping boards, hoping to make Yoshino wood known not just locally but more widely. The main woods used for these boards are cedar and cypress. We intentionally use parts with irregular shapes or lots of knots, such as the base of branches. These areas might be difficult to use in construction, but they are firm and dense due to supporting the branches, resulting in interesting and highly unique grain patterns. By turning these into smaller items, they express a rich character. I hope our products spark interest in the fascinating aspects of wood, as well as forests and nature.

ーーThe unique shapes and patterns of the boards make them perfect for beautifully presenting cheese, prosciutto, and more. It seems fun to choose which cutting board to use for different presentations.

Honda：As our products are distinctive, I’m keen on collaborating with specialty stores and wineries, both domestically and internationally. One of my dreams is to travel and do sales pitches. Collaborations can enhance each other’s products and hopefully increase demand for both. I’ve had customers who said they didn’t want to use the cutting board for its intended purpose because it’s too beautiful and preferred to keep it for display, or hang it as an objet d’art, or use it as a stand for arranging accessories. There seem to be various ways to use them, which I find interesting.

Also, our cutting boards are double-sided, so one side can be used as a regular cutting board, even if it gets knife marks, and the other as a serving board. Applying linseed oil or other natural plant-based oils periodically can keep them beautiful for a long time.

ーーYou process Yoshino cedar and cypress. What differences do you feel compared to other types of wood?

Honda：Yoshino cedar is well-maintained, resulting in very fine grain. Also, it’s known that Yoshino cedar has higher antibacterial properties compared to woods from other regions. This antibacterial aspect is a great advantage for cutting boards and chopping boards, and I want to actively promote this feature.

Using trees to keep forests in circulation

ーーI heard that you moved to Shimokitayama Village.

Honea：I’m originally from Kawaguchi City in Saitama Prefecture. I had an interest in rural life, so when I got married, I moved to Shimokitayama Village, where my wife’s family is from. It’s been about 23 years now. At first, I was interested in agriculture, but it didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. It was through living here that I developed an interest in wood and gradually turned it into my livelihood.

In our main lumber business, we currently slice-cut logs purchased from the market or brought in directly, and process them into structural materials such as pillars and boards, which are then delivered to carpenters and construction companies. However, typical construction materials have a more or less fixed price, making it challenging to add significant value. That’s why I see potential in lifestyle products and wooden furniture, where we can add value through creativity.

ーーHow has life been since moving, and how do you find the livability of the area?”

Honda：I wake up in the morning to the sounds of birds, go to sleep to the melodious chirping of cicadas and the chorus of frogs, play with my children in the river in the summer, and warm up by the fireplace in the winter. The natural beauty and the fascination of wood are always there. These are the everyday things that used to be common in the countryside, and I am reminded every day of the value in these simple pleasures.

Of course, being able to appreciate this is the result of having experienced city life. There are merits to city life, just as there are merits to rural life. Occasionally, I hold pop-up exhibitions in the city, and the organic shapes of wood stand out beautifully in contrast to the inorganic urban environment. Being a resident of the countryside, I feel a responsibility to convey the value and importance of rural life.

As part of that effort, about 4 or 5 years ago, I organized events that allowed people to experience nature through activities like interacting with nature, hiking in the mountains, and making wooden products. We had to suspend these events temporarily due to the pandemic, but we plan to resume them.

By selectively harvesting trees to some extent, light enters the forest, and the trees grow even more. By using wood, we can sustainably manage the forest. I find a lot of fulfillment in a job that allows me to convey the charm and warmth of wood through products and events, and I intend to continue placing importance on the perspective of forest circulation.