FIL was begun as a project to revitalize the Minamioguni region of Kumamoto Prefecture (famous for the Kurokawa Onsen), and its industries. My family has been in the forestry business for three generations, and what our team aimed to do was not a typical regional development campaign using conventional designs. We opted rather to create a sustainable, economically scalable organization that communicated a brand. We wanted to emphasize the lifestyle, the moments, the richness of spirit that are a fundamental part of the people of Minamioguni. The goal was to share the unique culture and values of Minamioguni with the information-overloaded worker bees of the modern age. What exactly is happiness? What is the true meaning of “wealth”? Also, what kind of products should a brand that asks those questions sell? In creating this brand, we want to continue asking these questions to not only ourselves, the managers, but also to the content creators we employ and to the customers who support us.

FIL is a lifestyle brand based in Aso and Minamioguni, Kumamoto Prefecture. We develop furniture and fragrances, working with creators in Tokyo and Paris, and the fab lab in our flagship store provides a manufacturing space. We infuse the concept of “Fulfilling Life” with the beautiful landscape that have been carefully preserved in Aso, the spirit of warmth towards visitors, a culture and perspective that makes these connections of “nature to person” and “person to person.” We make products that can be lovingly used for a long time, and that create a deep connection between person and object.

Our memory of experience living in this land and handling its materials has been forged in the shape of our products. We salute the natural environment which raised our product, cherishing the atmosphere which is a part of that environment that we can keep at hand. The composition of the light frame in contrast to the solid texture of the Oguni Cedar enhances the value of the wooden materials and gives nice, light and airy feelings to the product just like the natural environment itself.

We launched black furniture.This product was inspired by “noyaki,” which has been on Mt. Aso for a thousand years.We would like to share with the world the traditions that continue in the area where we live.

The potpourri produced from the lava stone of the our land. FIL fragrance oil is blended in the atelier of Miya Shinma PARFUMS in Paris. After arriving from Paris, this fragrance oil, which was blended according to a special recipe, has been aged and bottled in FIL bottling room.For more information, please refer to the link below.