Chest of drawers (in close‐up), Kishū chest of drawers

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.Kishū chests are finished using a mixture of specialized abrasive powder that smooths the surface of the wood to enhance the appearance of the rich wood grain. Futhermore, the carefully sized drawers form an air tight fit, protecting the contents like textiles from insects and moisture.