Care to Own a Rolls‐Royce in Furniture?

Here's an annual magazine for the wealthy with two or more Rolls‐Royce cars, Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club Yearbook, and it covered for two consecutive years 2012 and 2013 a Japanese furniture house from Hiroshima manufacturing super furniture pieces branded MATSUOKA. The company only cater for rich customers across the world building not just storing cabinets but rather ornaments that speak up for the owners' artistic sense.

Matsuoka Kagu Seizo is situated at a corner of Hiroshima's suburban area and deal with 84 customers in 18 countries. In 2009 when they branded their products MATSUOKA they  has only one the United States. Quite a performance.

The mean price for MATSUOKA is seldom below 2 million yen a piece and orders come in custom combinations running up to several million yen per set. The wealthy own furniture more as a status symbol.

Some 40 artisans, mostly skilled hands with over 30 years in the profession, shave, bend, polish and assemble in a 22,000 square-meter workshop.

"It's worth our while building furniture for overseas customers who appreciate our quality. It's a meaningful job," comments one: "I've never been content with my work as there's plenty more for improvement", says another.

Matsuoka Kagu Seizo is a furniture store of long standing founded in 1966. Fuchu, Horoshima, is home to many a furniture store - over 60 in 1977 when the furniture industry enjoyed a booming business then down to a third as modern houses emerged with built-in furniture. 

President Taku Moritsugu recalls a day in Tokyo years back when at s furniture store he spotted a customer watching attentively at one of his furniture piece he was so confident of both in price and quality. The next moment the customer shocked him by picking an alternative Italian piece. 

"That's the moment," recalls Moritsugu, "I learned what we should target: name value." Hence, the worldwide brand name KATSUOKA. 

Source : Nikkei