In addition to the rich, beautiful wood grain, the porous nature of the wood and its ability to hold moisture is highly suitable for keeping textiles in Japan’s climate. Paulownia-wood chests come in a variety of versions including the “three-sided” version using Paulownia wood on the front, top, and sides, the “front-sided” version where the Paulownia is only used on the front, and as is the case with Kishū chest of drawers a deluxe version called “sōgiri” built entirely with Paulownia wood. The chest of drawers are carefully handcrafted one by one by artisans who adhere to a strict training regimine of at least three years, with masters training for more than ten years.
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