Big in Japan – IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living

The Japanese economy has suffered more than its share of hardships in recent years, but, thanks to its unique design identity, its furniture industry still has a valid place in the world – says Furniture News editor Paul Farley, who explores Tokyo’s small – but perfectly formed – IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living exhibition.  ekonglong furniture

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan described the earthquake that devastated the country’s Pacific Coast in March last year as “the toughest and the most difficult crisis” Japan had faced since the end of World War II. In economic terms, confidence in Japan’s consumer market was hit hard, and the country’s principal international furniture fair, IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living, lost participants and visitors from several key markets.

According to organiser Messe Frankfurt, the company behind such shows as Heimtextil and Ambiente, 19,166 visitors were welcomed this year – a further drop from 2011’s figures, perhaps, yet renewed participation from international businesses hints at modest recovery. At 338 exhibitors, the show itself is small, and caters to a wide spectrum of interiors sectors, yet its identity is increasingly well defined – IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living is all about high quality and high design.

The general qualities for which Japanese products are renowned – detail, craftsmanship and ergonomics – certainly manifest in the country’s furniture and furnishings. Coupled with a genuinely unique design identity derived from both traditional and modern Japanese influences, this means that buyers will find unique product here, albeit at prices that reflect the industry invested in it.

The exhibition floor is laid out in specific zones, design-oriented offerings and accessories book-ending the more mainstream products, and several feature areas add depth to the experience. This year, these included Creative Resource, a focus on material re-use, curated by architect Keiji Ashizawa.
With nods to DIY solutions and new applications, this zone proved particularly relevant given the natural disaster suffered in 2011 – leading Japanese supplier Karimoku Furniture also tackled the issue, employing an abundance of sustainable materials, and offering furniture with ‘earthquake-proof’ qualities such as shatter-proof glass, sliding doors, drawer locks and bolt-to-wall fittings.