In April 2024, they produced a prototype of a bench. Five pieces of Yoshino cedar lumber with distinctive grain form the robust seat, which emits an industrial atmosphere together with the H-shaped steel used for the legs. Its simple yet rugged design is derived from the logo “Yoshino Chobokujo (lumberyard)” printed on the wood. “Every time I saw stacked lumber in a lumberyard, I got interested and excited for some reason. I wanted to give shape to such scenery in my childhood remaining in my mind,” said the designer Dan Tomimatsu, unveiling the concept.

　Tomimatsu, who received two out of three major design awards in the world, was born in Tokyo, and resided in Yoshino Town from the age of 3 to his school days, as his father wanted to raise his child in his hometown. He commuted to school every day while viewing a lumberyard, where many pieces of lumber were stacked to be dried. That scenery burned into his mind as a memory symbolizing Yoshino. After advancing to a college in Tokyo, he studied in Italy to pursue the path of design. After returning to Japan, he developed his career based in Tokyo. When his child was born, he pondered over his future life, and made the same choice as his father did. In 2020, his family relocated to Yoshino Town. With the fellows of the “Society for Living with Yoshino,” he started redeveloping the Yoshino brand.

　While the prototype was completed, a monument designed by Tomimatsu was placed in the Yoshino Chobokujo. It looks like stacked lumber rather than a bench. “I couldn’t imagine a better monument than that as a symbol of the lumberyard. I hope that those who have sat on this bench at the Expo site will visit here and enjoy the charm of wood, so that this scenery will be preserved for the future.” Tomimatsu hopes like this, while caring for Yoshino, which nurtured his sense as a designer.

　At the Yoshino Chobokujo, “Yoshino Wood Festival” was held for two days in mid-October 2024. Many people participated in a factory tour and a wood-crafting session to learn about wood further, and enjoyed themselves at events such as the game of kicking off one-tooth geta and the game of guessing tree age. Yoshikawa, who planned this project, said, “Firstly, visitors would feel the potential and interesting features of Yoshino lumber. Then, I hoped that they would pay attention to the fact that trees have been closely related to our living and food culture.” They work to encourage visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan to go to Yoshino and learn the importance of the circulation of wood, which is a sort of an impetus for creating benches and contrivances. Yoshikawa expressed his resolution, saying “Through the Co-Design Challenge, we would like to approach young generations and overseas people who do not know the Yoshino brand, and increase players involved in the handling of wood at the time of the Expo.”