Tako + Fugu Chairs Find Inspiration in Innovation + Tradition

Japanese company Maruni stands out for creating their minimalist furniture through the combination of innovative industrial processes and traditional craftsmanship methods. They’ve recently introduced two new chairs highlighting the beauty of natural wood – Tako designed by Naoto Fukasawa and Fugu designed by Jasper Morrison.

“Tako” means octopus in Japanese, though that’s not what Fukasawa set out to design when he began. However, the curve of the backrest and armrests resembled the sea creature, and it was thusly named. The structure of the chair was realized through cutting techniques using CNC machines, originally something that would have only been possible to create by hand.

Fukasawa said, “I wanted to implement a three-dimensional free-form curve into a mass producible wooden chair, but not by using the traditional wood bending techniques. This chair can showcase the shape, which was earlier only possible by handcrafting it piece by piece, in solid wood. A chair that goes well with a glass of wine or a white tablecloth, is something that first came to my mind!”

Naoto Fukasawa \ Photo: Nacasa Partners Inc.

Morrison’s Fugu pieces focus on cleanliness. “Fugu”, meaning blowfish in Japanese, is a series of solid wood chairs that can either feature armrests or not. Its relaxing seat and backrest are finely crafted using Maruni’s cutting-edge production technologies to create beautifully curved surfaces. Comfortable and versatile, the Fugu chairs work well in public places as well as your home.

“The Fugu lobby chair extends (the family) from lounge chairs and dining. The goal has been the same, to achieve a level of comfort with solid wood seat and back so that no upholstery is needed, maintaining the pure lines and the expression of a single material purposefully arranged,” he shared.

Jasper Morrison \ Photo: Nacasa Partners Inc.

To learn more about the Tako and Fugu collections, visit maruni.com.