The origins of Karimoku date back to 1940, when Shohei Kato established a small woodworking shop in Aichi. The company produced various wooden parts in the ensuing decades, developing a range of techniques and technology before launching its own line of wooden furniture in the 1960s. Building upon the concept of manufacturing high-tech and high-touch products, the company established bases in timber production areas and developed into one of Japan’s leading manufacturers of wooden furniture.