Traditional Kumiko Joinery from Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture

For more than 70 years, Nitahara Joinery has devoted itself to the art of Japanese joinery - an unbroken line of craftsmanship carried through three generations. In an era where many traditional workshops fade before their knowledge can be passed on, the Nitahara family continues to protect, refine, and share the techniques entrusted to them by their predecessors.

At the centre of their work is kumiko, a delicate and highly refined joinery technique in which slender wooden pieces are shaped, assembled, and interlocked without nails or metal fittings. Each pattern is built through precision, patience, and an intimate understanding of the material. The result is a latticework that feels both timeless and alive - an expression of harmony, craftsmanship, and the quiet pursuit of perfection.

Nitahara Family

Nitahara Joinery Workshop

Works

  • Traditional japanese kumiko lanterns lights lamps

    Kumiko Lanterns

    Lanterns made using traditional kumiko techniques. Each design is unique, no two lanterns will have the same design. Beautiful in the day, and at night with the light projecting the gentle patterns all around. Available in kakuasa, small, medium, and large sizes.

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Four people laughing and talking in a woodworking workshop. Tools and wood materials are visible in the background.

Nitahara Family

We are a joinery workshop with over 70 years of history, run by three generations of our family.

While many manufacturing businesses are dying out due to a lack of skill transfer, we are committed to carefully preserving the experience and traditions that our founder painstakingly built up.

This means not only our skills, but also our desire to continue moving forward together with the customers who use our products, and to provide a place where they can always rely on us.

Our desire is to continue to build long-term relationships with our customers that transcend generations, along with our products.

An elderly man wearing a dark cap and glasses, smiling and looking to the side.

First Generation: Susumu Nitahara

"I want to remain active throughout my life"

He was a "Contemporary Master Craftsman of Fukuoka Prefecture" who contributed greatly to the advancement of Okawa Kumiko techniques.

He passed away in September 2014, leaving his strict adherence to tradition and innovative techniques in the hands of the second and third generations of craftsmen, and his kind personality is fondly remembered by many people involved.

A man operating industrial machinery in a workshop.

Second Generation: Shinichi Nitahara

"We want to deliver something better"

He is a first-class joinery technician.

He not only preserves the skills he inherited from his father, but is also passionate about inventing new forms and improving his techniques.

Driven by a desire to share the excellence of Japanese craftsmanship with many people, he also engages in various public relations activities.

A man working at a table in a workshop or laboratory setting, smiling at the camera.

Third Generation: Tatsuhiro Nitahara

"Together with my younger brother"

Immediately after graduating from high school, he began training as an apprentice in Shimane. In October 2013, he returned to his family home and began to seriously hone his skills as a craftsman who will carry on the tradition for the future.

He wants to take over Nitahara Joinery Works together with his younger brother, who is both a good rival and his greatest ally.

A man with glasses smiling and working with wood in a workshop.

Third Generation: Shinji Nitahara

"I want to surpass my grandfather and father"

He studies under his predecessor, working hard every day to learn the techniques from the basics.

He has his sights set on the future, with the ambitious goal of eventually becoming a fully-fledged craftsman and carrying on the factory alongside his brother, and surpassing his grandfather and father.

A smiling woman with short curly hair playing shuffleboard, holding a cue stick, in an indoor recreational area.

Yuki Nitahara

"I want to be a source support for my family."

Wife of the second-generation owner, Shinichi.

Not only does she support her family behind the scenes so that they can dedicate themselves to their crafts, but she also works as a craftswoman herself, creating kumiko pieces.

Her approach to her work reveals the meticulous attention to detail that is characteristic of a woman.