Mr. Fukumaki worked as a cook in Tokyo until the age of 24. He got married and began to work at Dentou Kougei, which is the company run by his wife’s family. It was when Japan’s economic bubble collapsed. He thought that something needed to change. While looking for a solution, Dentou Kougei received a new order from an unexpected customer. The order for producing legs was placed by a sofa manufacturer. Mitering, which is the technique Dentou Kougei has developed through the manufacturing of picture frames, garnered the attention of the sofa manufacturer. This gave Dentou Kougei inspiration that they can take full advantage of their strengths by changing their direction only a little, providing a turning point that leads to the present.

　Mitering is a technique for perpendicularly joining wood materials whose cross sections have been cut at a 45-degree angle. Wood materials so joined are beautiful in appearance while the strength is maintained; however, high precision and advanced skills are required, thus many furniture manufacturers hesitate to use the technique by themselves. Original equipment manufacturing (or OEM, which means contract manufacturing of partner brands) will result in an outflow of the technique. Dentou Kougei began to produce their original furniture. As Dentou Kougei is a small company, they cannot manufacture products in large volumes or produce large items. Every production process is done by hand. Their weaknesses, however, turned into their strengths. Their furniture, which cannot be made by big furniture manufacturers, has earned a fine reputation.

　Dentou Kougei plans to exhibit five stools at the Expo site. Each and every element of the stools, which are the graceful curves formed by the technique of mitering, the smooth touch, and the gentle wood grain, brings comfort. Mr. Takeshi Yasuda, who serves as Director at Dentou Kougei, said that picture frames complement the works put in them and while keeping the idea in mind, they aimed to produce furniture that is modest, but brightens up people’s lives. Their Japanese-style furniture has been well received, allowing them to get orders from customers overseas. Mountains with their elegant ridgeline surround the factory of Dentou Kougei. He said that they would like people to feel the storyline that nothing makes a right angle around their factory and their artisans are all calm and gentle. Their mindset is expressed through their furniture.

　They plan to offer a tour through which people can experience a breathtaking scenery that makes people feel tempted to put it in a picture frame as an experience-based event. Taking advantage of the issue of depopulation, they consider providing people with events that allow them to enjoy the mountainous countryside as a whole, such as events for creating participants’ own picture frames and enjoying the blessings of the mountains and open-air tea ceremonies with stools brought into the mountains.

　Mr. Fukumaki enthusiastically said that people from all walks of life flexibly work as a compact team, which is one of the positive aspects of Fuchu City, and that they would like to use the Expo as a great opportunity for expanding their sales channel.

　Fuchu City was a strategic place in the Sekishu Kaido Roadway that connected the Iwami Ginzan silver mine (Shimane Prefecture) and the ports in the Seto Inland Sea in the Edo period. The enterprising spirit has been developed and there is a culture of enjoying changes. According to Mr. Kotani, there are a number of indie companies that are not well known as brands although their products are chosen for their quality. With all his heart, he said that this project creates the future of the young as well and they would like to make the Expo a place that offers encounters with new people.