Exploring the Comfortable Distance Between People and Trees, the Touring Dialogue "IPPON NIPPON — the world's echo —" Launches

"IPPON NIPPON — the world’s echo —" Key Visual

"IPPON NIPPON — the world’s echo —" is an experimental series that explores and archives the context behind people and trees, using a different theme each time.

Initiated by Tatsuya Inoue, representative of Gōdō-gaisha 887 (Hachi-hachi-nana) and COO of VUILD Inc. (Virudo), this touring dialogue seeks to understand the comfortable distance between people and trees, drawing on the culture, technology, beliefs, and memories of life surrounding Japanese timber.

The first installment, themed "Reading Wood," will feature the exhibition "IPPON NIPPON PARIS | Reading Wood" in Paris, France.

Background of the Project Launch

In Japan, wood has long been more than just a material.

Cultivating forests, felling trees, building houses, and creating livelihoods. Behind each of these actions lies a perspective and way of engagement rooted in the connection of life, technology, customs, beliefs, and aesthetics, which have nurtured unique regional cultures.

In recent years, with growing global interest in decarbonization and sustainability, the utilization of wood has garnered attention. However, alongside increasing wood usage, we believe it is paramount to re-establish the invisible connections that have been severed between people and trees.

IPPON NIPPON was launched as a research project to re-examine the relationship between people and trees while engaging with such cultures and values surrounding wood.

What the Project Addresses

IPPON NIPPON is a series project that will tour diverse regions domestically and internationally, engaging in dialogues on various themes each time, including wood culture, beliefs, architectural techniques, aesthetics, and natural environments.

Using the culture hidden within familiar trees as a clue, we attempt to decipher the ways of interacting with and the values associated with trees in different regions through a multitude of perspectives and approaches, and to connect the insights gained to the present.

Beyond simply recording information and documentation, we will reweave complex contexts, perspectives, and values, visualizing hints for future expressions and attitudes.

We will contemplate anew how we perceive trees, with the hope of a future where trees and people coexist for the next 100 to 200 years.

First Installment in Paris: Exhibition of Works by Architect Fumihiko Sano on the Theme of "Reading Wood"

Venue BOLANDO (Exterior)

The first installment of IPPON NIPPON will take place in Paris, France.

The theme is "Reading Wood."

In Japan, carpenters, loggers, and lumber mill workers have long used the phrase "reading wood."

This involves not only discerning the strength and properties of wood but also contemplating the environment in which the tree grew and the time it has experienced, by observing its growth rings, grain patterns (moku), and bark. The sensibility of facing each unique tree and utilizing its individuality is indispensable when discussing Japanese wood culture.

This sensibility is also embedded in Japan's unique architectural culture and wood expressions, such as the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, tea room architecture, and building and decorative materials that utilize natural shapes.

So, how can we, living in the present day, interpret the act of "reading wood"?

This first exhibition explores the diverse perspectives, sensibilities, and values embedded in Japanese wood culture from the viewpoint of "reading wood."

We chose Paris as the stage to step away from the framework of our daily lives in Japan and re-examine this culture from a different perspective.

By engaging in dialogue within different cultures and values, we aim to re-evaluate the sense and aesthetics of "reading wood" that we have unconsciously inherited, and to discover new values and contemporary possibilities within them.

The venue will feature an exhibition of works by architect and artist Fumihiko Sano on the theme of "Reading Wood," as well as workshops and talk sessions by Japanese carpenters.

Works by Architect / Artist Fumihiko Sano (Planned)

Future Developments

Starting with this exhibition, IPPON NIPPON plans to expand its activities to various themes and regions in the future.

We will continue to develop activities in diverse forms, including exhibitions, workshops, artwork creation, and field research, through collaborations with various creators and practitioners who engage with wood, such as architects, artists, designers, and craftspeople.

Furthermore, we plan to produce research books, one by one, to archive the dialogues, discoveries, and questions generated in each region and for each theme. Takanori Hayashi (Polar Inc.) will serve as editor, and Taku Sasaki (KANAISASAKI) as art director. They will shape the overall project through the editing and production of research books, as well as key visuals and various creative materials.

Through these initiatives, we will continue research and practice to explore wood culture from multiple angles and consider expressions and attitudes that can be utilized in contemporary architecture, spaces, and our daily lives.

Takanori Hayashi (Polar Inc.) and Taku Sasaki (KANAISASAKI)

Project Overview

Project Name: IPPON NIPPON — the world’s echo —

Exhibition Title: IPPON NIPPON PARIS 《Reading Wood | 木を読む》

Dates: July 26, 2026 – August 23, 2026

Venue: BOLANDO (8 Rue de l'Echaudé, 75006 Paris, France)

Content:

Exhibition of works by architect / artist Fumihiko Sano

Workshop by Japanese carpenters

Inquiry-based communication

Production of research books

Exhibition of Works Based on the theme of "Reading Wood," an exhibition of works by architect / artist Fumihiko Sano will be held. The exhibition will express the relationship and sensibility between Japanese people and wood, which cannot be fully conveyed through words or data alone.

Workshop A workshop will be held where participants can experience the sense of "reading wood" by touching tools such as planes and saws actually used by Japanese carpenters, and observing grain patterns, warping, and wood grain direction.

Inquiry-based Communication The exhibition is positioned not as a one-way presentation, but as a space for dialogue with visitors and local experts. Through interaction with different cultures and values, we will explore new perspectives and questions regarding Japanese wood culture.

Research Book Discoveries made through exhibitions, workshops, on-site dialogues, and research will be compiled and produced into a research book. Takanori Hayashi (Polar Inc.) will serve as editor, and Taku Sasaki (KANAISASAKI) as art director, documenting the questions and responses generated in each region and for each theme.

Credits

Organizer: Gōdō-gaisha 887

Initiator: Tatsuya Inoue (Gōdō-gaisha 887 / VUILD Inc. COO)

Planning: CDII (Tatsuya Inoue / Noa Yamamoto / Takanori Hayashi / Shunsuke Kamata)

Collaborating Artist: Fumihiko Sano (Architect / Artist)

Art Direction: Taku Sasaki (KANAISASAKI)

Cooperation: VUILD Inc.

About Crowdfunding

We are currently running a crowdfunding campaign to support the implementation of this project.

Funds raised will be used for exhibition production costs, transportation of exhibits, and recording production costs.

The IPPON NIPPON series is a challenge to open up and share the potential hidden within Japanese wood culture with a wider audience.

We would be grateful for your support.

Crowdfunding URL: https://readyfor.jp/projects/IPPON-NIPPON-PARIS

Contact

Gōdō-gaisha 887

Contact Person: Yuzuki Furukawa

Email Address: furukawa@887.co.jp

Gōdō-gaisha 887

Established in 2021. Based in Nishiawakura Village, Okayama Prefecture, we provide media production and consulting services with a focus on forests, timber, and regional culture.

There are already many attractive challenges and values present in the forestry and regional sectors. We aim to be "nosy supporters" who encourage these challenges and sometimes articulate them to society. We are also a content-driven media producer. Instead of just disseminating information, we constantly form hypotheses, test them, and verify them. We value opening up the process itself to society.