kumiko artisan (Okawa, Fukuoka Prefecture) Masato Kinoshita

One of Masato Kinoshita’s lifelong ambitions has been to make a distinctively Japanese chandelier out of Okawa kumiko (traditional lattice work). As part of Team Okawa, a grouping of nine Okawa woodworking firms, he was commissioned to create decorative lattice work on JR Kyushu’s “Seven Stars,” Japan’s first cruise train, and “Aru Ressha Sweet Train,” which showcase outstanding examples of kumiko work.