There’s a quiet elegance in the way the zaisu invites you to the floor. It’s not loud or showy. It doesn’t tower or impose. Instead, it humbly supports—a grounded companion in the intimate, rooted ritual of sitting close to the earth.
In traditional Japanese homes, life has always flowed through tatami-covered rooms. People kneel, sit, and live on the floor. Yet as customs evolved, so did the desire for a touch more comfort—a gentle support for the spine during long meals or quiet conversations. Out of that need came the zaisu—literally, “floor chair” (za for “sit,” isu for “chair”).
But it was in 1963 that designer Kenji Fujimori gave the zaisu its most iconic form: a curved plywood marvel that is as poetic in its simplicity as it is ingenious in its functionality. This wasn't just a chair—it was a philosophy molded into shape. Designed originally for the guestrooms of the Morioka Grand Hotel, the chair soon outgrew its origins, becoming a staple in ryokan (traditional inns) and, more recently, beloved Japanese restaurants across the world.
Fujimori’s zaisu captures something rare—a seamless blend of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian modernism. No surprise there: in the 1950s, Fujimori studied design in Finland, absorbing the ethos of figures like Alvar Aalto, whose approach to material and form resonated deeply with Japanese sensibilities. The result? A chair that honors the floor-sitting traditions of Japan, while embracing the ergonomic curves and natural materials so cherished in Nordic design.
Every line of the zaisu is intentional. The backrest, subtly contoured, supports the human spine with quiet grace. The cutout at the base isn’t just visual—it reduces weight for ease of movement, and cleverly prevents the chair from slipping on smooth tatami. Despite its minimal profile, the comfort is surprising—something that invites hours of grounded stillness.
The craftsmanship is equally worth celebrating. Manufactured by Tendo Mokko, pioneers of molded plywood in Japan (and collaborators with everyone from Isamu Kenmochi to Sori Yanagi), the zaisu is produced in three beautiful finishes—kayak, maple, and oak—each with a different personality, depending on your space and spirit.
A fun little design fact? The chair’s gentle curvature is made possible by Tendo Mokko’s early innovations in press-molded plywood, a technique they championed in Japan starting in the 1940s. This process allows for organic shapes without sacrificing strength—something Fujimori used to perfection in this piece.
Today, over sixty years later, the zaisu remains timeless—still stacking, still charming, still gently supporting people who want to sit closer to the earth. It’s a chair that doesn’t demand to be noticed—but once you use one, you’ll wonder how you ever sat without it.
