We Want Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, to Be Japan's No. 1 City for Wood Stove Penetration! #AprilDream

Our company supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a "Day to Announce Dreams." This press release is the dream of "Makilife Co., Ltd."

Makilife Co., Ltd. (Representative: Takuya Ikeda), which imports, sells, and installs wood stoves, aims to make its local Shiga Prefecture's Takashima City the city with the highest wood stove penetration rate in Japan, and to expand this initiative nationwide.

## ■ The Background of Our Dream

Takashima City, located in the northwestern part of Shiga Prefecture, is a nature-rich area surrounded by Lake Biwa and mountains. In winter, cold winds blow from the Sea of Japan, and snowfall can reach nearly one meter. To comfortably spend such harsh cold seasons, a wood stove is useful. The far-infrared rays contained in the wood flame and the radiant heat emitted by the stove itself warm the body from the core, and gazing at the flickering flames also has a relaxing effect. The firewood used as fuel comes from thinned wood cut from the surrounding mountains, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the effective utilization of forest resources. It also serves as a preparation for disasters when electricity and gas are unavailable. Furthermore, in Takashima City, many people who have moved there install wood stoves when renovating old houses, which helps attract new people to a region facing population decline.

## ■ Current Activities

Makilife Co., Ltd. has been selling high-quality wood stoves directly imported from Europe for over 10 years. By providing integrated services including chimney construction, maintenance, firewood sales, and home renovation, we deliver the optimal "life with fire" for many families' housing situations and lifestyles. Nevertheless, the penetration rate is still low. According to surveys by industry organizations, the national wood stove penetration rate is only about 1%. Some people hesitate to install them due to concerns such as "I'm afraid of handling fire" or "I'm worried about the room getting smoky."

Therefore, our company built "Shiga no Sato," a guesthouse with wood stoves in Takashima City, and offers experiences where guests can actually split wood and light a fire. By letting them learn about the effort involved in installation and precautions for handling fire, we help alleviate their concerns. We also pay close attention to chimneys, which affect stove combustion efficiency and safety, and strive to improve safety by producing original insulated double-wall chimneys that meet European standards, which are stricter than Japanese standards. Furthermore, we actively sell cutting-edge products such as hybrid stoves that can use both wood and pellets, continuously pursuing a safe and comfortable "life with fire."

### Main overseas brands handled by our company (Click here for a detailed product lineup)

- LACUNZA (Spain)
- Aduro (Denmark)

## ■ Thoughts of Representative Takuya Ikeda

Takashima City is experiencing a declining birthrate and aging population even within Shiga Prefecture, with its population decreasing by over 10,000 people from its peak in 2000. It was unfortunately designated as the only city in Shiga Prefecture to be identified as a "municipality at risk of extinction" by a national strategic council. Despite this, Makilife Co., Ltd. has a "dream" to make Takashima City a unique town that is second to none among all municipalities nationwide. That dream is to achieve the highest wood stove penetration rate in Japan. While it's difficult to ascertain the penetration rate for each municipality, our goal is to introduce wood stoves to one out of every ten households in Takashima City, which means 10% of all households, or 2,000 households. We want to spread a lifestyle where people can be energy self-sufficient while utilizing the rich blessings of nature. We hope that more people will be attracted to this lifestyle and move to Takashima, revitalizing the town. And we wish to expand this initiative to Shiga Prefecture and then nationwide. To achieve this, we believe our "dream" and mission are to convey the charm of wood stoves to as many people as possible and to establish an environment where they can be used safely and comfortably on an ongoing basis.

### Learn more about Makilife in this video ⇩

Makilife Co., Ltd.

Founded in 2013, incorporated in 2022. A specialty store for wood stove sales and installation.

- Representative: Takuya Ikeda
- Address: 1205-7 Umehara, Imazu-cho, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture
- Phone: 090-6601－3353
- Official Website: https://makilife.biz/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maki_life55/
- LINE Official Account: https://lin.ee/rK3OoGi
- Inquiry Form: https://makilife.biz/contents/category/contact