NAGANO APPLE
Material: Birch, paint.
Made in Nagano region, Japan by Master Sunohara
Design: COMPANY / Aamu Song 2019
Size: 100 x 80 mm



Here's a short story behind Nagano Apple we'd like to share.
Nagano Apple was made with Master Sunohara in Nagano, Japan. We've worked with Sunohara-san earlier on Blue Bear and Snowman items.In January 2019 we planned to visit him again and heard just before our departure that he cannot produce Blue Bear and Snowmen because there is not big enough pieces birch wood available. He only had trunks up until size of 80 mm. Quickly we designed a new product; Nagano Apple container (Nagano being one of the famous apple regions in Japan) that suited this smaller size.
We do not speak Japanese. So to be sure that we'll communicate the idea we bought an apple from Helsinki airport, brought it with us all the way to Nagano, carved it to illustrate the idea and shape, and then ate it together with Sunohara-san.
A month later back in Finland we received an envelope from Japan. It contained three photos of the new container, and not a single word. We knew it is a success. An edition of 20 Nagano Apple containers were made in late 2019 and they now available.




Eating apples at Master Sunohara's studio close to Nagano, Japan.




Master Sunohara's work table and tools. Sunohara's friend turns the rough shapes and Sunohara sculpts the final surface. As a former painter (artist) he mixes his own paints achieving amazingly deep colours.









Drawing: Aamu Song
Nagano Apple container follows Master Sunohara's Farmers Art style where he sculpts turned wood into containers.