News room

ITOKI CORPORATION (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koji Minato) has concluded an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to promote the use of wood in buildings. This agreement will promote the expanded use of domestic timber in office space, interior design, furniture, and other architectural designs and construction, as well as the sustainable recycling of forest resources.
Based on the agreement, Itoki will use domestic timber in principle for the wooden interiors of non-residential spaces that it designs and constructs, and will increase the amount of domestic timber it uses from a total of 726 m3 over the past five years to a total of 3,250 m3 over the next five years.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to promote the use of domestic timber in order to achieve carbon neutrality and a recycling-oriented society. In particular, in the field of construction, promoting the use of wood construction and wood-based materials is expected to lead to the fixation of carbon in wood and the appropriate management of forest resources. In addition, companies are being asked to create an environment that supports the productivity, creativity, and health of their employees based on "human capital management."
Itoki has been promoting the use of wood in office spaces and facility interiors, contributing to improving worker well-being, productivity, and spatial value. With this agreement, we will be able to balance the two important themes of recycling forest resources and improving worker value, strengthening our ability to provide even higher levels of value to our customers.

• Itoki will, as a general rule, use domestic timber when wood-filling the interiors of non-residential spaces that it designs and constructs, and will increase the amount of domestic timber used from a total of 726 m3 between 2021 and 2025 to a total of 3,250 m3 over the five years from 2026 to 2030.
• When ITOKI designs and constructs interior wooden spaces, it actively uses wood for furniture and fixtures such as desks, chairs, tables, and storage shelves.
• Itoki will use wood for its wood-based interiors, which it designs and constructs, that has been verified as legal in accordance with the Act on Promotion of Distribution and Use of Legally Harvested Wood, etc., in order to contribute to the sustainable and healthy development of the forestry and timber industry while taking into consideration the conservation of biodiversity.
• The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will provide ITOKI with technical advice and information on available subsidy programs, as well as provide an opportunity for the exchange of opinions and introduce consultation services and experts regarding wood use.

From December 18, 2025 to December 31, 2030

Itoki launched Econifa, a solution for utilizing domestic timber, in 2010, and has since built and cultivated the know-how and network to handle everything from timber selection to design, planning, production, and delivery, regardless of tree species, in cooperation with local governments, forestry cooperatives, material processing, and furniture manufacturing companies.In recent years, in addition to developing furniture made from domestic timber, the company has also conducted demonstration experiments in collaboration with universities and research institutes to examine the effects of working in a wooden office on productivity and psychological and physiological aspects, confirming trends such as stress reduction, psychological comfort, and humidity control effects.
We believe that these findings will lead to improved employee performance and engagement, and will also serve as a foundation for supporting a company's human capital management. Itoki will continue to contribute to sustainable management and improved well-being through the creation of spatial value based on the use of domestic timber and scientific empirical testing.
For more information about Econifa, please visit: https://www.itoki.jp/special/econifa/index.html

Itoki has recently received approval to use the Japan Wood Label (JWL) and Wood Carbon Label (WCL), which are operated by the Japan Wood Design Association (JWDA). JWL is a label that indicates the use of domestic timber, and WCL is a label that visualizes the amount of carbon fixed by wood. Both aim to increase the value of wood use and realize an environmentally conscious society.
We will take this opportunity to display the certification mark on eligible furniture, promote the use of domestic timber and the "visualization" of carbon stock through Econifa, and strengthen our efforts to create environmentally friendly, sustainable office spaces and furniture.
For more information about the Japan Wood Label and Wood Carbon Label, please visit: https://www.jwda.or.jp/label/

Examples of Itoki products covered by the Japan Wood Label and Wood Carbon Label

From the vertebra03 series designed by Fumie Shibata, the warm wooden chair "vertebra03 WOOD" and the portable battery "hako" that can be used anywhere will be released sequentially from December 25th.
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2023/2311_wood/

ITOKI's Crossa WOOD wins the Forestry Agency Director-General's Award at the Wood Design Awards 2025!
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2025/2511_wooddesign/

Introducing the new "silta" sustainable large table, featuring beautiful design created from natural materials
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2021/2112_silta /