Kobo 1-seater sofa, natural - Kvadrat Maple 0722

Ishinomaki Laboratory’s Kobo sofa is a wooden 1-seater that reflects the simplicity and elegance of Japanese design. Its angular cushions are upholstered in high-quality Kvadrat fabric, while the frame – crafted from Japanese hardwood with visible grain patterns – is finished with a laminated surface for added durability and resistance to wear. Thanks to its generous seat depth and upright sitting angle, the 1-seater lounge chair offers both comfort and support, making it equally suited to home living rooms and public spaces.

Designer Keiji Ashizawa originally created the Kobo sofa collection for Yahoo Japan Corporation, established to support Japan’s reconstruction efforts after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The design reconsiders the very essence of a sofa – how it supports sitting and fosters connection. The result brings together Ishinomaki Laboratory’s bold DIY spirit and the traditions of Japanese woodworking.

Keiji Ashizawa

callyIshinomaki Laboratory is a Japanese furniture brand that emerged in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Originally founded as an open DIY-style workshop, it offered residents of Ishinomaki a hands-on way to rebuild, repair and come together through shared projects. Among other initiatives, Ishinomaki Laboratory worked with the local community to create benches for an outdoor cinema, while workshops launched in collaboration with furniture manufacturer Herman Miller helped bring professional furniture design into everyday life.

Since then, Ishinomaki Laboratory has grown into the world’s first DIY furniture brand, offering a wide selection of high-quality, creativity-driven wooden furniture – all crafted locally in Japan.