On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. Amid confusion and uncertainty, people began to reflect on what was truly needed for everyday life and to create those necessities with their own hands.

Through the practice of design and a spirit of DIY, Ishinomaki Laboratory’s approach to making things took its first steps. Fifteen years have passed since then. Over time, the city of Ishinomaki has continued to change, and the community surrounding Ishinomaki Laboratory has grown.

What began as a local practice of making in Ishinomaki has gradually expanded across Japan and beyond, extending to other parts of the world through the “Made in Local Project,” a series of collaborations with manufacturers in diverse regions.

Though environments and relationships may change, the approach to making remains constant. Attentive to the qualities of available materials and the structures they call for, and guided by an imagination of use and human connection, these thoughts take form as furniture. Rooted in Ishinomaki, this way of thinking has been passed on through encounters with diverse places and people, unfolding into forms shaped by each unique environment.

This exhibition brings together 15 iconic pieces of furniture that have shaped the history and evolution of Ishinomaki Laboratory. They are traces of thoughts and experiments layered over time, quietly reflecting the values of Ishinomaki Laboratory.

Beyond a presentation of objects, the exhibition becomes a space for reflection.

Through furniture, it offers an opportunity to experience the way of making that has spread from Ishinomaki over the past fifteen years, along with the relationships between people and the thoughts directed toward local communities.

Fifteen years on, with Ishinomaki as its point of origin and alongside people in many places, Ishinomaki Laboratory continues its practice of making.

15 Iconic Designs / Designers:
Daniel Schofield, Drill Design, Industrial Facility, Keiji Ashizawa, Koichi Futatsumata,
Naoki Terada, Norm Architects, Philippe Malouin, Studio Adjective, Taiji Fujimori,
Tomoko Azumi, Torafu Architects

Exhibition Overview
Title:
15 Years After: The Journey of Ishinomaki Laboratory and 15 Pieces of Furniture
Dates:
March 11 (Wednesday) – April 23 (Thursday), 2026 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Venue:
Karimoku Commons Tokyo
2-22-5 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Admission: Free
Co-organizers: ISHINOMAKI LABORATORY, Keiji Ashizawa Design
Support: Karimoku Furniture Inc.
Exhibition Text: Jun Kato
Video Production:
Filmmaker Nobu Arakawa
Video Editing Gaku Kamimura
Sound Masaya Tamura
Colorist Torn Studios
Graphic Design: Tomoya Kaishi
Styling: Yumi Nakata