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TSUMIKI are simple triangle-shaped wooden blocks named after Japanese building blocks tsumiki. The blocks have a variety of uses – from being used for play by children and adults, much like the Danish building blocks Lego, to being produced in larger sizes to build architectural structures like the TSUMIKI pavilion by Kengo Kuma in Tokyo Mid-Town Park (2014-2015). The countless ways in which the blocks can be stacked is limited only by the imagination.

TSUMIKI are designed by architect Kengo Kuma, based on a commission by More Trees, a forestry conservation organization led by renowned Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. Enquire about TSUMIKI kit in The Shop at Japan House London.

About the product

The smooth triangle-shaped TSUMIKI are made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified cedar wood from Morotsuka Village in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan where one of More Trees' Forest locates. The notch at the tip of each piece allows the blocks to be fitted together easily to create structures. They are available in sets of 7, 13 or 22 pieces and range from 4cm wide to nearly 13cm high. TSUMIKI will stimulate creative intelligence in both adults & children.

About the designer and craftsman

Kengo Kuma is a world-renowned contemporary architect whose portfolio includes the recently-opened V&A Dundee and Tokyo 2020 National Olympic Stadium. Tsumiki building blocks, played an important part in Kuma's childhood and his development as an architect. Precisely designed, TSUMIKI’s form requires delicate and accurate production, which means it cannot be manufactured by machinery. You can feel both the warmth of the wood and of the craft from each piece carefully made by the hands of skilled artisans. By collaborating with local artists, their aim is to contribute to the sustainable development of both the forests and neighbouring local communities.

About More Trees

More Trees was launched in 2007 by five founders, including Oscar-winning musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. Their goal was to connect cities and forests and to ensure "a society where forests and people co-exist for generations to come". The organization engages in collaborative work with local communities for conserving forests. It works on thinning in 11 locations in Japan and on reforestation in 2 locations abroad as part of their forest conservation activity. More Trees plans and sells products utilizing domestic timber. Products are created in collaboration with designers and local craftsmen.