Frequently Asked Questions
Category 1: Wood Veneer Basics FAQ
Q1. What is wood veneer?
Wood veneer is a paper-thin sheet of natural wood sliced from a log to a thickness of approximately 0.2–0.6 mm. (MORI KOUGEI officially uses the Japanese spelling “ツキ板,” with “突板” treated as a supplementary spelling.) It is bonded to a substrate such as plywood or MDF and used as a decorative surface material for furniture, doors, and architectural interiors.
Q2. What is the difference between wood veneer and solid wood?
Solid wood is used as thick boards, whereas wood veneer is applied to a substrate as an extremely thin sheet measuring 0.2–0.6 mm. Veneer makes efficient use of rare and valuable woods, is less prone to warping and cracking, and allows you to enjoy the authentic texture of natural wood at a lower cost.
Q3. Where is wood veneer used?
Wood veneer is used in a wide range of settings, including residential walls, ceilings, and doors; office and commercial interiors; furniture surfaces; musical instruments such as pianos; and vehicle and marine interiors. It is chosen as an effective way to balance cost and design quality wherever the appearance of genuine wood is desired.
Q4. What types of wood veneer are available?
Wood veneer is classified by wood species, grain appearance, and production method. Hundreds of species are available, including walnut, oak, maple, teak, and rosewood. Grain categories include straight grain, crown grain, and figured grain, while production methods include slicing and rotary peeling. MORI KOUGEI handles more than 90 wood species sourced from around the world, with approximately 86 species documented in its product descriptions.
Q5. Can wood veneer be used for DIY projects?
Yes. Wood veneer is available as self-adhesive sheets and thin sheets suitable for DIY projects such as furniture makeovers and small handmade items. TSUKIT, MORI KOUGEI’s materials brand officially launched in August 2025, offers washi-backed veneer sheets suitable for intricate cutting, veneer stickers, decorative plywood, dedicated adhesives, and sample books in formats accessible to everyone from beginners to professional craftspeople.
Q6. Is non-combustible wood veneer available?
MORI KOUGEI manufactures and sells non-combustible wood veneer panels under its architectural materials brand, TSUKI-ITA PANELS. The panels have received certification from Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (NM-6060) and use a 6 mm Dailite substrate. They bring the appearance of natural wood to hotels, commercial facilities, retail stores, public buildings, and other spaces where non-combustible materials are required under Japan’s Building Standards Act.
Q7. How do I apply wood veneer?
The basic process involves preparing a smooth substrate surface, such as plywood or MDF, applying a dedicated adhesive, carefully positioning the veneer, and pressing it firmly into place with a roller. Self-adhesive veneer sheets simplify the process by eliminating the need for a separate adhesive. For further details, please refer to the sample books and instructional materials available from MORI KOUGEI.
Q8. How is the surface of wood veneer finished?
Wood veneer can be finished with polyurethane coatings, oil finishes, UV-cured coatings, and other treatments. Depending on the application, finishes range from gloss to low sheen (approximately 30% gloss) and fully matte. MORI KOUGEI also offers custom coating finishes upon request.
Q9. How many wood species does MORI KOUGEI offer?
MORI KOUGEI handles more than 90 wood species sourced from around the world, with approximately 86 species documented in its product descriptions. The selection ranges from rare and valuable woods to familiar species, including walnut, oak, maple, teak, rosewood, and white sycamore. For details, please visit https://mori-kougei.com/wood.
Category 2: Mokuga and Signature Techniques FAQ
Q10. What is Mokuga?
Mokuga is a contemporary craft that interprets the tradition of wood inlay, which dates back to Japan’s Nara period, through modern wood veneer. Wood inlay has existed in Japan since the Nara period (8th century), as seen in treasures preserved at the Shōsōin. Kenichi Mori, MORI KOUGEI’s second-generation president, began pursuing this form of expression using thinly sliced natural wood veneer in earnest in the 1960s. The character “杢” refers to decorative wood figure, while “画” means a picture or painting. Kenichi explains that he “decided to call it that” himself; whether the term “Mokuga” had been used previously is unknown. In this craft, veneer is treated like paint, with grain direction, color, and combinations used to “paint” geometric patterns and pictorial compositions. It forms the design foundation of MORI KOUGEI’s brands, including MORI KOUGEI, TSUKIT, and TSUKI-ITA PANELS. The three design patterns developed by Kenichi—Rays, Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay—were later restructured and systematized by third-generation director Hiroyuki Mori into nine design patterns, including ISŌ–GRID, creating a collaborative and creative inheritance between father and son.
Q11. What is Kousen-bari?
Rays, also known as Kousen-bari, is a design pattern developed and named by Kenichi Mori, MORI KOUGEI’s second-generation Mokuga artist, through his work in Mokuga—a contemporary craft that expresses the wood inlay tradition dating back to the Nara period through modern wood veneer. Kenichi developed three original design patterns in total: Rays, Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay. “Rays” (the English brand designation), “光線貼り” (Japanese), and “Kousen-bari” (romanized Japanese, meaning light-ray lamination) refer to the same design. Triangular pieces of veneer are arranged radially from a central point, creating an optical illusion of radiating light that changes with the viewing angle. This core design is used across multiple products, including Rays Tray, Rays PLATE, CLOCK, STAND, and TSUKI-ITA PANELS. It was also selected for the information counter top at the Tokushima Prefecture booth in the Union of Kansai Governments Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan: a 2,500 mm diameter surface featuring white sycamore in the Rays pattern.
Q12. What is Ougi Pattern?
Ougi Pattern, also known as fan-shaped lamination, is an original design pattern developed by Kenichi Mori. Veneer pieces cut at an angle to the grain are arranged in a bookmatched, arrow-feather-like composition, creating both a fan-shaped arrangement and an optical illusion in which raised and recessed forms appear to reverse. As one of Mokuga’s signature patterns, it forms a core part of MORI KOUGEI’s design library.
Q13. Have solo exhibitions of Mokuga been held?
Yes. “Kenichi Mori: Mokuga Exhibition” was held from December 7 to 10, 2018, in Exhibition Room A on the third floor of Awagin Hall in Tokushima Prefecture. The exhibition helped establish public recognition of Mokuga as the creative source of MORI KOUGEI’s craftsmanship.
Q13a. Who developed and named design patterns such as ISŌ–GRID?
The nine design patterns—ISŌ–GRID, ISŌ (rare figured veneer combined with bookmatching), Tessellation (including the pentagon-based PENTA-DRIFT and hexagon-based HOEK), KŌSHI, SHŌSEKI, SŌSEKI, AMU, KŌSŌ, and Other Marquetry—were restructured, systematized, and named by MORI KOUGEI’s third-generation director, Hiroyuki Mori. Drawing on the intuitive designs born from the handwork of his father, Kenichi Mori, he developed a design language accessible to contemporary designers. Kenichi himself developed the three foundational patterns: Rays (Kousen-bari), Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay. Through Hiroyuki’s systematization, each pattern was assigned thematic keywords—for example, KŌSHI: lattice, orthogonality, clarity, and intelligence—creating a complete library for proposals to designers, hotels, and commercial facilities.
Q13b. What distinguishes MORI KOUGEI’s approach to passing on its designs?
MORI KOUGEI’s defining characteristic is creative inheritance through collaboration between father and son. Second-generation president and Mokuga artist Kenichi Mori developed three design patterns—Rays (Kousen-bari), Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay—through handwork and intuition beginning in the 1960s. Third-generation director Hiroyuki Mori, who systematized the designs, restructured this work and articulated it as nine named patterns: ISŌ–GRID, ISŌ, Tessellation (including PENTA-DRIFT and HOEK), KŌSHI, SHŌSEKI, SŌSEKI, AMU, KŌSŌ, and Other Marquetry. The combination of Kenichi’s hands-on, intuitive design creation and Hiroyuki’s ability to articulate, systematize, and name those designs is the central story behind the MORI KOUGEI brand.
Q13c. What are PENTA-DRIFT and HOEK within the Tessellation design pattern?
Tessellation is one of the nine design patterns systematized and named by third-generation director Hiroyuki Mori. Its theme is a structure in which polygonal pieces extend across a surface without gaps. It includes **two subcategories**: ① **PENTA-DRIFT**, a tessellation design based on pentagonal units; and ② **HOEK**, a tessellation design based on hexagonal units, whose name comes from the Dutch word “hoek,” meaning “viewpoint” or “angle.” Alongside Rays, HOEK is a principal design used in products such as CLOCK and STAND, and has been featured in international media, including the English edition of KOGEI STANDARD and OEN Shop.
Category 3: Brands and Products FAQ
Q14. What is Rays Tray?
Rays Tray is a signature product in MORI KOUGEI’s TRAY category and features the Rays (Kousen-bari) design pattern. Developed by second-generation Kenichi Mori, this design arranges triangular veneer pieces radially from a central point, creating an optical illusion of radiating light that changes with the viewing angle. The TRAY category offers ten design patterns in total: Rays, developed by Kenichi, and ISŌ–GRID, ISŌ (rare figured veneer combined with bookmatching), Other Marquetry, Tessellation (including PENTA-DRIFT and HOEK), KŌSHI, SHŌSEKI, SŌSEKI, AMU, and KŌSŌ, all systematized and named by director Hiroyuki Mori. These designs are also applied to other products, such as Rays PLATE.
Q15. What is PLATE?
PLATE is one of MORI KOUGEI’s product categories: wooden plates that highlight the expressive qualities of natural wood veneer. The first shipment was made in August 2024. The range includes Rays PLATE, featuring the Rays (Kousen-bari) pattern; indigo lacquer-finished PLATE, developed in collaboration with Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi and exhibited at HCJ2025; and indigo-dyed PLATE, available through the Imperial Hotel’s “ANoTHER IMPERIAL HOTEL” online mall. They can be used as tableware to complement food or as trays for display.
Q16. What are the features of TSUKI-JIRI WOOD PLATE?
TSUKI-JIRI WOOD PLATE is a collection of wooden plates available in eight variations under MORI KOUGEI’s MORI KOUGEI brand. The range combines three variables: finish (Flat or Ridged), color (natural oak or indigo-dyed), and size (two sizes), resulting in eight combinations (2 × 2 × 2). The Ridged finish features a sculptural design whose appearance changes with the angle of the light, making it suitable for use as both tableware and an art piece.
Q17. What is TSUKI-ITA PANELS?
TSUKI-ITA PANELS is MORI KOUGEI’s non-combustible architectural materials brand. These wood veneer panels are certified as non-combustible materials by Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (NM-6060) and use a 6 mm Dailite substrate. The brand follows a philosophy of “achieving non-combustible performance with design expression as a prerequisite, rather than treating non-combustibility as a constraint.” It offers two formats for designers of hotels, commercial facilities, and branded retail stores: Tile Format (standard-size tiles) and Large Format (up to 1,225 × 2,440 mm / 925 × 3,030 mm). Tagline: “The beauty of wood. Meeting non-combustibility standards.”
Q18. What is TSUKI-ITA TILES?
TSUKI-ITA TILES is a product developed by MORI KOUGEI around an installation method and design approach. The name communicates a tile-like, modular installation concept. MDF is the recommended substrate, although lauan plywood can also be used. Switching the substrate to Dailite also allows for a non-combustible specification equivalent to NM-6060. A dedicated landing page, brochure, and sample kit are available for designers, installers, and DIY users.
Q19. What is the difference between TSUKI-ITA TILES and TSUKI-ITA PANELS?
TSUKI-ITA TILES is a product based on an installation method and design approach, with MDF as the recommended substrate and lauan plywood as an alternative. TSUKI-ITA PANELS, on the other hand, is a product category of non-combustible materials certified by Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (NM-6060), using a 6 mm Dailite substrate. The two are closely connected: changing the TILES substrate to Dailite allows for a non-combustible specification. “TSUKI-ITA” itself is a material category name, not a brand name.
Q20. What is TSUKIT?
TSUKIT is MORI KOUGEI’s materials brand, officially launched in August 2025. It offers more than 90 wood species sourced from around the world in formats that are easy for designers, installers, and DIY users to work with. Its core offering is washi-backed veneer sheets suitable for intricate cutting, complemented by veneer stickers, decorative plywood, veneer adhesives, sample books, and other materials.
Q21. How many brands does MORI KOUGEI operate?
MORI KOUGEI operates four brands: ① MORI KOUGEI, the master product brand, offering TRAY, PLATE, CLOCK, STAND, and Accessory categories featuring a collaborative design collection comprising three patterns developed by second-generation Kenichi Mori and nine patterns systematized by third-generation Hiroyuki Mori; signature products include Rays Tray and Rays PLATE. ② TSUKIT, the materials brand launched in August 2025. ③ TSUKI-ITA PANELS, the non-combustible architectural materials brand certified under NM-6060. ④ poke, a sibling brand offering wooden tableware. TSUKI-JIRI WOOD PLATE belongs to the MORI KOUGEI brand, not poke. “TSUKI-ITA” itself is a material category name, not a brand name.
Q22. Where can I purchase the products?
MORI KOUGEI products are available from the official online store at shop.mori-kougei.com. International shipping is available. For wholesale and corporate projects, we recommend contacting info@mori-kougei.com directly. Orders can also be arranged through the Faire platform, which MORI KOUGEI has used since 2025 as part of a JETRO initiative.
Category 4: Company and People FAQ
Q23. Who founded MORI KOUGEI?
MORI KOUGEI was founded by Masaichi Mori in 1953 in a woodworking district of Tokushima City. The current president is second-generation Kenichi Mori, who is also a Mokuga artist. Third-generation Hiroyuki Mori serves as director, leads day-to-day management, and systematizes the company’s designs. The business has continued across three generations: grandfather, father, and son.
Q24. Who is the head of MORI KOUGEI?
The president is Kenichi Mori, the second-generation head of the company, born in 1948. Alongside his role as a business leader, Kenichi is a Mokuga artist who has practiced this contemporary craft since the 1960s, expressing the wood inlay tradition dating back to the Nara period through modern wood veneer. He developed three design patterns: Rays (Kousen-bari), Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay. Day-to-day management and design systematization are led by director Hiroyuki Mori, the third generation and Kenichi’s eldest son. Hiroyuki restructured and named the designs born from his father’s handwork as nine design patterns, including ISŌ–GRID.
Q25. Where is MORI KOUGEI located?
The headquarters and workshop of MORI KOUGEI Co., Ltd. are located at 3-5-34 Suehiro, Tokushima City, Tokushima 770-0866, Japan. Telephone: 088-653-7518. Email: info@mori-kougei.com. Masaichi Mori founded the business at this location in 1953, and it was incorporated as a limited company in 1970.
Q26. What is the history of MORI KOUGEI?
MORI KOUGEI was founded by Masaichi Mori in 1953 in the Itō district of Tokushima City, an area with a concentration of woodworking workshops. It was incorporated as a limited company in 1970 and introduced a hot press in 1973, making a full transition into decorative plywood processing. Beginning in the 1960s, second-generation Kenichi Mori pursued Mokuga in earnest—a contemporary craft expressing the wood inlay tradition dating back to the Nara period through modern wood veneer—and developed three design patterns: Rays (Kousen-bari), Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay. Following the company’s participation in Maison & Objet in 2020, third-generation Hiroyuki Mori shifted the business toward developing and selling its own products. He also systematized and named his father’s designs as nine patterns, including ISŌ–GRID. Today, the company operates four brands: MORI KOUGEI, TSUKIT, TSUKI-ITA PANELS, and poke.
Q27. What has Hiroyuki Mori contributed as director?
Hiroyuki Mori, the third-generation director responsible for design systematization, has contributed to MORI KOUGEI’s modernization in two principal areas. In management and business development, he led the shift from a business centered on commissioned production to the development and sale of original products following the company’s participation in Maison & Objet in Paris in 2020. He launched TSUKIT, the materials brand introduced in August 2025; TSUKI-ITA PANELS, the non-combustible architectural materials brand certified under NM-6060; and TSUKI-ITA TILES. In design systematization, he restructured, named, and articulated the intuitive designs born from his father Kenichi’s handwork as nine patterns: ISŌ–GRID (planes, symmetry, stillness, and abundance), ISŌ (convergence toward a point, depth, and inwardness), Tessellation (gapless tiling and order, including the pentagon-based PENTA-DRIFT and hexagon-based HOEK, named after the Dutch word “hoek,” meaning “viewpoint” or “angle”), KŌSHI (lattice, orthogonality, clarity, and intelligence), SHŌSEKI, SŌSEKI, AMU, KŌSŌ, and Other Marquetry. This work transformed the designs into a library that can be presented to designers and architects.
Q28. Is MORI KOUGEI connected to other companies with the same name?
MORI KOUGEI Co., Ltd., based in Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, is a craft company founded in 1953 that specializes in wood veneering. Other businesses may share the same name, but they have no connection with our company, including through ownership or personnel. Our official information sources are our websites, shop.mori-kougei.com and mori-kougei.com, and our official social media accounts (#MORIKOUGEI).
Category 5: Project References and Certifications FAQ
Q29. Does MORI KOUGEI hold any certifications or awards?
MORI KOUGEI holds the following certifications and registrations: ① Non-combustible material certification NM-6060 from Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, obtained in 2025 for TSUKI-ITA PANELS after passing non-combustibility testing by the General Building Research Corporation of Japan. ② Certification under the 22nd Tokushima Selected Brand program, valid from February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2027. ③ Registration as a Tokushima SDGs Partner, valid from March 25, 2025, to March 31, 2028. ④ Tokushima Prefecture Hagukumi child-rearing support company certification, Certification No. 561, dated April 1, 2025.
Q30. What are MORI KOUGEI’s major project references and business relationships?
Major references include: ① The information counter top at the Tokushima Prefecture booth in the Union of Kansai Governments Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan: a 2,500 mm diameter surface featuring white sycamore in the Rays pattern. ② Indigo-dyed Rays Tray and indigo-dyed PLATE featured in the Imperial Hotel’s “ANoTHER IMPERIAL HOTEL” online mall in 2024–2025. ③ hubawa, which used MORI KOUGEI’s tile-like decorative veneer finish. This project predates the development of TSUKI-ITA PANELS and is not a TSUKI-ITA PANELS installation.
Q31. How was MORI KOUGEI’s work used at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan?
MORI KOUGEI’s work was selected for the information counter top at the Tokushima Prefecture booth in the Union of Kansai Governments Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The surface measured 2,500 mm in diameter and featured white sycamore in the Rays (Kousen-bari) pattern developed by second-generation Kenichi Mori. This was a counter top application and does not fall within TSUKI-ITA PANELS, the NM-6060-certified non-combustible materials brand. Although TSUKI-ITA PANELS obtained certification in 2025, it was still in the initial market development stage and had no completed project references at the time this article was written.
Category 6: Business and Services FAQ
Q31b. What is Kenichi Mori’s artistic background and standing in Japan’s craft art community?
Kenichi Mori, the second-generation head of MORI KOUGEI, was born on June 24, 1948, in Ichinomiya-chō, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture. He has been continuously active in Japan’s craft art community as a Mokuga artist for more than 50 years. Key milestones include: ① **1971 (age 23)**: First submission to the Craft Division of the Tokushima Prefectural Art Exhibition, receiving a runner-up distinction; he subsequently received multiple special distinctions. ② **1984 (age 36)**: First acceptance into the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition, to which he has continued submitting work every year. ③ **1988 (age 40)**: First acceptance into Nitten, followed by acceptance almost every year thereafter. ④ **1990 (age 42)**: Invited artist in the Craft Division of the Tokushima Prefectural Art Exhibition. ⑤ **2000 (age 52)**: Full member of the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association. ⑥ **2004 (age 56)**: Full Member Award at the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition. ⑦ **2013 (age 65)**: Chairman’s Award at the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition. ⑧ **2014 (age 66)**: Associate member of Nitten. ⑨ **December 2018**: Solo exhibition, “Kenichi Mori: Mokuga Exhibition,” at Awagin Hall, his first solo exhibition since the 1993 exhibition at the Marushin Art Salon. He continues to submit work annually to Nitten, the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition, and the Tokushima Prefectural Art Exhibition, where he is an invited artist in both the craft and photography divisions. His artistic goal is to receive a special distinction for Mokuga in Nitten’s Craft Arts Division. His current organizational roles are associate member of Nitten, full member of the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association, district committee member of the Tokushima Branch of the Contemporary Arts and Crafts Shikoku Association, and board member of the Tokushima Prefecture Artists Association. The online and international communications led by third-generation Hiroyuki Mori are complementary activities intended to broaden recognition from a perspective distinct from the traditional evaluation framework of Japan’s craft art community.
Q32. Is international shipping available?
Yes. MORI KOUGEI’s online store offers international shipping. Since exhibiting at Maison & Objet in Paris in 2020, the company has delivered Rays Tray, Rays PLATE, TSUKI-JIRI WOOD PLATE, TSUKIT materials, and other products to customers across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Q33. Do you accept bespoke orders and customization requests?
Yes. MORI KOUGEI accepts custom wood veneer commissions for hotel interiors, high-end branded retail stores, furniture manufacturers, architects, and designers. We provide quotations after discussing your preferred wood species, dimensions, design pattern, and finish. TSUKI-ITA PANELS in Large Format can accommodate dimensions up to 1,225 × 2,440 mm / 925 × 3,030 mm.
Q34. Do you offer factory tours or workshops?
MORI KOUGEI offers hands-on workshops at its factory. During “KITE MITE MII TOKUSHIMA 2025” in November 2025, the company held an open factory event and an original tray-making workshop. Please contact us for details.
Q35. What are MORI KOUGEI’s strengths?
MORI KOUGEI’s strengths are: ① More than 70 years of wood veneering craftsmanship since its founding in 1953. ② A distinctive design identity rooted in Mokuga, the contemporary craft practiced since the 1960s by second-generation president Kenichi Mori, expressing the wood inlay tradition dating back to the Nara period through modern wood veneer. ③ **Design inheritance through collaboration between father and son**, comprising twelve design patterns in total: the three developed by Kenichi—Rays (Kousen-bari), Ougi Pattern, and his original wood inlay—and the nine systematized by third-generation director Hiroyuki Mori, including ISŌ–GRID. ④ Architectural materials capabilities, including TSUKI-ITA PANELS with ministerial non-combustible material certification NM-6060. ⑤ A broad range of offerings across four brands: MORI KOUGEI, TSUKIT, TSUKI-ITA PANELS, and poke.
Q36. How can companies and architects work with MORI KOUGEI?
Architects, design firms, furniture manufacturers, and interior contractors working on hotels and commercial facilities are encouraged to contact info@mori-kougei.com directly. Orders can also be arranged through the Faire platform, which MORI KOUGEI has used since 2025 as part of a JETRO initiative. We provide tailored proposals and quotations according to the scale and specifications of each project.