A warm thank you to all our supporters
50 YEARS OF KOKOROISHI
50 Years of Building and Retaining Your Trust
My father and the founder of KOKOROISHI, Tsutomu Kokoroishi was born as the oldest of seven siblings. In the post-war hardship of Japan, he skipped higher education, instead working a multitude of jobs in order to support his family. These experiences made him realize how tantamount trust between people is in life.
When I started to help in the company, there was a time when due to my mistakes, payments to our clients were delayed by a day. "What's the issue? A day isn't much" - was what I then thought.
That ended up being the worst castigation I had in my life - Tsutomu ordered me, with practically an oni(ogre)-like face, to contact each and every one of our partners to plead for their understanding. Trust takes ages to build but only needs a moment to be broken. The value of trust is instilled in KOKOROISHI and still drives us right now.
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Shitsutomu was very strict in his work but his employees were like his family. He was committed to even hearing out the private problems that his employees faced. This care, and familial bond, was what motivated his employees to work together with him.
When we first started, office sofa sets were the rage and they were easy to sell. However, then came the late 1980s and the bursting of the Japanese bubble economy. The furniture brokers we dealt with one-by-one went out of business. The influx of cheap imports added fuel to fire and we honestly considered closing KOKOROISHI.
It was then that the people around KOKOROISHI rallied together with us, and we started moving towards making sofas. I remember my father telling me, calmly and with a smile: "Work hard and someone will definitely appreciate what you make!"
This shift to sofa making would not have been possible without all the trust we had built. We created this page as thanks to all the people who have accompanied us through the peaks and nadirs of life.
Please take the time to read this to find out about KOKOROISHI and the trust that goes behind it.
Takuo Kokoroishi
CEO and Chairman, KOKOROISHI KOUGEI
About Us
FactoryContinually improving ourselves
The original KOKOROISHI factory was right beside the Kokoroishi family home. As we expanded and orders for our sofas increased, in 1987, we bought some land in an area filled with other artisan shops where our current factory and company HQ are.
Studio, Cafe and then Sofa Boutique
In the 12th year of business, KOKOROISHI did have a showroom from which we sold our items. However, handling both production and retail was difficult. The showroom was then converted to a studio for taking photos of our products and a storeroom.
MilestonesThe history of KOKOROISHI and our sofas
Charting our history - from when we were producing office sofas, to producing for living rooms, to when practicality and design became important and to now - when the values of people are reflected in the sofas they use.
CRAFTSMENReminiscing about the early days
How did KOKOROISHi come to our current state? How did we develop our high quality and advanced techniques? The original craftsmen at the beginning of KOKOROISHI held a reunion to share their memories.
Our Trusted Partners
ZUIUNShori-san - CEO and Chairman, zuiun Co. Ltd.
The real power of collaboration
REAL STYLETsuruda-san - CEO and Chairman, Real Style Co. Ltd.
The trust that a dependable CEO and strong technology can bring
MARUSHOSakemi-san - Chairman, Marusho Co.
A manufacturer that evolves with the times
AKASE MOKKOGotoh-san, Board Member, Akase Masterwal Style Inc
The common intricacies found in both wood and leather
Our Trusted Suppliers
KOEISANGYOThe value of telling your brand's story
Kitamura-san, Executive Director, Koeisangyo Co. Ltd.
DENTOU KOUGEIBirthing something new through collaborating and innovating with core technology
Fukumaki-san, CEO and Chairman, Dentou Kougei Co., Ltd.
AISHIN SANGYOThe trust and skills built over 20 years
Furuoka-san, Managing Director, Aishin Industrial Co. Ltd.
SUMIDA SANGYOArtistry built from meticulousness and curiosity
Fujishiro-san, Managing Director, Sumida Sangyo Co. Ltd.
English 
日本語