Aichi, Japan · Founded 1975
Every table began as a living tree.
KIDO MEIMOKU specializes in live edge furniture crafted from Japanese hardwoods. Every table, every slab, every grain pattern is unrepeatable. When a piece is sold, it is gone from the world.
CONTENTS
One plank. One table.
What ichimai-ita means
Why does it cost this much?
Four reasons behind the price
The wood we work with
Six species from Japan's forests
Our promise
What every piece includes
Visit us in Japan
Showrooms in Aichi Prefecture
For international clients
Inquiries and video consultations
What is Kido Meimoku?
For nearly fifty years, we have sought out Japan's most exceptional hardwoods — Zelkova that took two centuries to grow, Camphor revered in ancient temples, Cedar from the mist-covered forests of Yakushima.
We bring them into our Aichi workshops, where each slab is dried with care, tested for moisture, and prepared by hand before it reaches your home. No two pass through the same process. No two leave as the same object.
We do not manufacture. We curate.
We do not replicate. We protect.
Every piece in our inventory — over 600 at present — is catalogued individually. Each has a number, a species, a story. When one sells, it is gone from the world.
One plank. One table.
Ichimai-ita (一枚板) means, literally, one single plank. A dining table made from a single uncut slab of solid wood — not jointed, not engineered, not assembled from pieces. One tree. One cut. One table.
The live edge — the natural, uncut boundary where the bark once met the world — is preserved exactly as the tree grew it. No two live edges have ever been the same. No two ever will be.
This is not a style choice. It is a fact of nature.
Why does it cost this much?
Time.
A Zelkova slab must dry for 3 to 5 years before it is stable enough for furniture. Yakusugi Cedar, from trees that lived over 1,000 years, may require longer. We absorb that time — and that cost — before you ever see the piece.
Rarity.
Yakusugi is harvested exclusively from naturally fallen logs in a UNESCO World Heritage forest. Jindai — ancient wood buried underground for centuries — exists in quantities so small that some pieces are never reproduced. These are not raw materials. They are artifacts.
Craft.
Before delivery, our craftsmen pre-machine leg attachment points to exact fit. On orders over ¥400,000, we provide white-glove assembly and installation at your home. The table arrives ready to use.
Singularity.
You are not paying for a table design you could find elsewhere. You are paying for a specific object that has never existed before and will never exist again.
You are not buying a table. You are inheriting a moment in natural history.
The wood we work with
Each species has its own character, history, and rarity. We work with six primary hardwoods from Japan and Southeast Asia — chosen not for trend, but for depth of story and quality of grain.
| Wood | Character |
|---|---|
| Zelkova / 欅 |
Japan's most honoured hardwood. Dense, resilient, warm amber. Used for centuries in shrine architecture and the finest furniture. Over 150 slabs in stock. |
| Camphor / 楠 |
Natural fragrance, flowing grain. Sacred in Japanese culture — planted around temples for thousands of years. Each slab carries a faint, lasting scent. |
| Yakusugi / 屋久杉 |
Cedar from Yakushima Island, UNESCO World Natural Heritage. Slow growth produces dense, resin-rich grain unlike any other cedar on earth. ¥800,000 – ¥4,280,000. |
| Jindai / 神代木 |
Wood buried underground for 1,000 years or more. Preserved and transformed by the earth. Colours range from deep black to silvered grey. No two share a shade. |
| Horse Chestnut / 栃 |
Intricate, shimmering curly grain — chijimi-moku — that seems to move under changing light. Approachable in price, exceptional in presence. |
| Monkey Pod / モンキーポッド |
Bold, organic form with a wide natural spread. Each slab retains its dramatic live edge silhouette — no two shapes alike. |
Our promise
Every piece in our inventory is prepared to the same standard, regardless of price.
- Over 600 unique slabs — each individually catalogued and managed
- Moisture content monitored and certified for long-term stability
- Leg attachment pre-machined before delivery
- White-glove assembly and installation included on orders over ¥400,000
- 1-year free repair warranty on every piece
Long-term quality is not a promise made after the sale. It is built into every step of our process.
The slab will choose you.
Our showrooms are in Aichi Prefecture — Tsushima and Nagakute — both accessible from central Nagoya. Visits are by appointment.
When you come, you will see the actual slab: its weight, its texture, the grain that no photograph fully captures. Many of our clients say the slab chose them, not the other way around.
If you are visiting Japan, we would be glad to arrange a private viewing. Please mention your travel dates when you reach out.
For international clients
We welcome inquiries from clients outside Japan and have experience working with international shipping logistics, customs documentation, and freight packaging suitable for large, fragile pieces.
For clients who cannot visit Japan, we offer video consultations — a live walkthrough of the slab in our showroom, with detailed measurements and close-up photography provided on request.
We respond to all international inquiries within 2 business days.
Language: English and Japanese
info@kidomeimoku.co.jp
Showrooms: Tsushima & Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Find your piece.
Please share the species, dimensions, intended use, and budget range. We will respond within 2 business days.
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