Musubi Noho by Mizuki Chinen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Lako Hale Competition Category.

KalaLako Hale· 2025

Musubi Noho

by Mizuki Chinen

Client: Chinen Mizuki

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Lako Hale Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #169688

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Musubi Noho

Ua hoʻoulu ʻia kēia noho e ka huaʻōlelo Musubi. ʻO Musubi he manaʻo kahiko Kepani Shinto, a ʻo ia ka manaʻo e hana ʻia nā mea a me ke ola ma ka hoʻohui ʻana i nā mea like ʻole. Kūkulu ʻia ka helehelena o kēia noho ma luna o ke kiʻi o ka ʻīpuka piko Mizuhiki. Ke nānā ʻia mai ke alo, he laina pololei ka hoʻolālā, akā ke nānā ʻia mai kahi ʻaoʻao, ʻike ʻia ka noho me he mea lā he piopiʻo mālie. Ke hoʻohana ʻole ʻia, hiki ke pepehi ʻia no ka mālama paʻa liʻiliʻi. Hiki ke hoʻopaʻa māmā ʻia ma ka hoʻokomo wale i nā māhele me ka hoʻohana ʻole ʻana i nā kui a me nā wili kūkulu.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Musubi Noho i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Musubi Noho he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Musubi Noho e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The shape of this stool is based on the motif of a bow-knotted mizuhiki. Mizuhiki is a decorative cord used in Japanese culture to wrap gifts for celebrations. Among them, the bow-knotted mizuhiki is a way of tying that is used for joyful celebrations no matter how many times it is used. Additionally, when viewed from the front, the stool appears to have a linear design, but from an angle, the seat reveals a gentle curve.
Dimensions & Packaging: 410mm x 230 mm x 430 mm
Tags: Design, Chair, Furniture, Furniture Design
Production Technology: A technique called paper hinge is used to join the boards together. Paper hinge is a technique used in traditional Japanese folding screens.
Also, this stool is made of cedar wood. Cedar is soft, lightweight, and strong. Moreover, it is a material that does not easily deteriorate even in humid places, making it suitable for the hot and humid climate of Japan.
Design Challenge: I had a hard time figuring out how to make it strong with just wood and paper, and how to prevent it from breaking. We have reviewed the design many times in order to achieve both durability as a stool and the convenience of disassembling it.
Research: We researched how to incorporate traditional Japanese techniques and materials into the design.
Inspiration: This stool was inspired by the word Musubi. Musubi is one of the traditional Japanese Shinto concepts, and it is the idea that things and life are formed by connecting various things. It was created with the hope that the person who uses this stool will be connected to good things.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2025 in Okinawa.
Operation Flow: This stool is divided into two parts and can be folded to make it compact when not in use. It can be easily assembled by simply inserting the parts without using nails or screws.