The Japanese Furniture Industry

Japanese furniture consumers today pay more attention to the price of the furniture. This factor has changed the Japanese furniture market and greatly influenced the geographic composition of furniture imports. Today, about 70% of Japanese furniture imports are provided by Asian countries.

The emergence of furniture wholesalers, furniture retail chains, large-scale furniture stores, and furniture manufacturers also create great impact on the Japanese furniture industry. The office furniture sector is dominated by a small number of major manufacturers such as Okamura, Itoki and Kokuyo, who are all based in Tokyo and Osaka.

Furniture imports into Japan are now favored because of the following reasons:

• Increase in Japanese consumer and industry interested in legged furniture. These types of furniture include dining-room tables, chairs, sofas, beds, and dining-room cupboards. Since the domestic manufacturers are now more focused on production of storage furniture, more overseas manufacturers are now producing the legged furniture.
• Increased in price competitiveness.
• Increase in the number of Japanese furniture manufacturers who are forming strategic alliances with overseas counterparts to supplement existing production.
• An increasing number of Japanese furniture manufacturers purchasing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) make furniture from overseas companies to remain cost competitive.