Nestled in the verdant hills of Hyogo Prefecture, Toshio Tokunaga, a seasoned artisan in his 70s, operates his studio where he skillfully melds his profound expertise in Kanna, a traditional Japanese woodworking method, with a subtle and evocative personal touch. His furnishings, now available through New York City furnishings gallery and manufacturer Radnor, are the testament of a lifetime devoted to apprenticeship and meticulous craft.

Tokunaga views his tools as akin to stethoscopes, revealing the inherent condition of wood and predicting its response. His design consciousness resides not only in his mind, but also in the sensitivity of his fingertips. The sculpting-like process involves a sustained act of attention, listening to the distinct sounds the planer makes as it glides over the wood, recognizing the unique response of each wood block. The result is an impeccable finish unattainable by higher-tech methods.

The Koza Dining Chair, an open edition crafted exclusively for Radnor, draws inspiration from Tokunaga’s earlier meditation chair. Originally conceived for a close friend of Master Tokunaga, the Koza Meditation Chair, gets its name from the term for “sitting cross-legged” in Japanese. The Koza Dining Chair is fashioned from 200+ year-old Japanese Zelkova wood sourced from the Rokko Mountains. Each piece bears an iron-tanned finish through its simple yet distinctive wishbone-like design.