As we enter early summer, the sun-bathed trees give an organic pattern to the otherwise ordinary ground. The Japanese have always favoured uneven materials because they are sensitive to the beauty of those shades. This piece embodies ethnic sensibility by combining materials with subtle light and dark shades.
 　The bamboo used is sooty bamboo characterised by its shading. The sooty bamboo is made from bamboo that has been naturally smoked on the thatched roofs of houses in Shiga Prefecture for over 200 years, removed, washed and prepared by artisans. The Japanese paper used was rakusui paper, whose uneven thickness creates patterns. The metal frame was coarsely polished to create a pattern with fine irregularities resulting from the different reflectance of light. The mortar is a combination of black tile cement, which is also used to make roof tiles, and biotite, with the difference in density creating the expression.
 　We did not deliberately create these shades, but they all emerged naturally during production. Sometimes, materials are more accessible and alive when they are out of human hands. That's why the better gardeners let the plants be what they are.