On February 15, we paid a visit to NOZIMOKU's distribution center to plan exports of the Kumano Sukkah, and discuss ways to stay ahead of the curve regarding regenerative practices and mitigating impacts by looking at SASB's materiality finder for forestry management. Before leaving, we looked at the reward being packaged up for supporters of NOZIMOKU's current crowdfunding campaign: "HIASOBI" (Japanese for "play with fire") uses wood scraps that are normally discarded, and turns them into an educational tool to teach children about how to safely use fire (apropos, as Kagutsuchinomikoto, the god of fire who appears in the Kojiki -- the ancient Japanese chronicle of myth - is worshipped in Ubuta Shrine in Kumano).
The basic reward is unlocked for ¥4600, and includes a starter HIASOBI package, which consists of an anthropomorphized wooden head (resembles Roz the Robot's head from the NYTimes bestseller "The Wild Robot"), starter wood shavings, matches, a candle and an instruction manual, and ships this April! It is purposely not easy to light, so functions as an STEM educational tool, teaching children about how to build a chimney, and adjusting it properly to cook a meal.
≡≡About NOZIMOKU≡≡ Since 1963, NOZIMOKU has operated a lumber mill in Kumano City, Mie Prefecture. NOZIMOKU strives to make the most of the high-quality wood found in Kumano, which is located in the southern part of the Kii Peninsula, a region with abundant rainfall and rich forest resources, including fragrant Owase and Yoshino cypress, which is used to build Japanese shrines, and naturally repels insects. NOZIMOKU uses knowledge and technique refined over many years to embody their motto of "heartfelt manufacturing."
NOZIMOKU sells flooring, pillars, and other residential lumber products to lumberyards and construction companies throughout Japan, but in the course of their daily work, are unable to directly interact with end users. HIASOBI and the Kumano Sukkah are steps NOZIMOKU is taking to create products that are delivered directly to end users.
