Frequently asked questions

Unless otherwise specified, we measure Height x Width x Depth.

We do not include the iron fittings / hardware (they usually add about 1 cm for the ones on the front, and up to 4 cm for lateral handles when the tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose is equipped).

Finally, we mention some equipment dimensions when it makes sense (e.g. drawers or openings for TV boards): these are the inside dimensions, so that you can check if your equipment fits.

Yes. All our furniture is genuine Japanese furniture and is made in Japan. Each piece of furniture comes with a certificate of origin confirming it was made in Japan.

It is true that there are many fake Japanese chests on the market, even in Japan. They are often reproductions of old Japanese tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose, made in China, aged artificially (woodworm, acid for the patina effect, etc), and sold as "true" Japanese antiques. But when you closely look at the tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose (wood quality, furniture making techniques), you can see very easily if it is a true Japanese antique or a fake copy. At THE AUTHENTIC FURNITURE, we buy our antiques from a few passionate antique tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose suppliers in Japan, whom we trust, and they add their expertise to ours.

It is impossible to give the exact age for a tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose, but one can detemine the period when it was made  (EdoEdo
Period from 1603 to 1868, MeijiMeiji
Period from 1868 to 1912, TaishôTaishô
Period from 1912 to 1926, etc) thanks to "hints". As for THE AUTHENTIC JAPANESE FURNITURE, most of our antique Japanese furniture is from MeijiMeiji
Period from 1868 to 1912 era, i.e. over 100 years old.

Sofa beds sold in Europe as "futonfuton
Thin mattress or quilt (see long definition)" are not part of Japanese furniture. It is of Western origin. (Click on "futonfuton
Thin mattress or quilt (see long definition)" for the glossary definition).

As many stores promote their sofa beds over Europe as "Japanese" or "Japanese style", it is commonly thought that it is true Japanese furniture. These sofa beds often use minimalism, a key component of the Japanese style, and a few clichés (washi paper, tatami, Chinese character, etc.) to justify a lower grade quality (particle board, etc). Also, they are usually made in China or South East Asia.

The connection to Japan is very shallow...

It is only a matter of preference, as each has its pros and cons.

To make it simple, if your primary goal is decoration or collection, and you accept a little maintenance every few years, you should go for an antique tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose. On the opposite, if you want to use your tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose daily and want zero maintenance, a newly crafted traditional one is better.

Contact us so that we can advise you based on your expectations and your way of life. We can also help you choose the finish for your tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose so that you can enjoy it for many generations.

For antiques, price is only a matter of demand and offer. The manufacturing cost has no more impact on the price, as it has been crafted a century ago. In Japan, the antique market is not so popular and people like new products better. Also, new apartements come equipped with closets in every room, and Japanese tend to keep their interior very simple. As a matter of fact, most Japanese tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose are bought by foreigners or importers based overseas.

As for newly made traditional tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose, this is very different. The price is directly connected to the manufacturing cost. Japan labour cost can be compared to the German or to the French one. For premium tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose as ours, which take up to 4 months worth of work, labor cost is a major driver of the price.

Consequently, for a comparable tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose, antique ones are cheaper than new ones. It may change in the near future as there seems to be an increasing interest for antique tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose in Japan recently.

Finally, French VAT is 7% for antiques over 100 years old, whereas it is 19.6% for new furniture.

Yes. You only have to purchase a standard 100V kotatsukotatsu
Warming low table heater in a household supply store (for example Metro Denki 29 x 29 cm model). It is a very standard equipment in Japan (about 1 million units per year), and costs less than JPY 10 000.

There is no special care for Japanese furniture; it is the same as with other quality furniture.

Many people think the Japanese lacquer is fragile, although it is quite the opposite. The oldest urushiurushi
Traditional Japanese lacquer, also called "Japan" in English coated Japanese kitchenware is over 3000 years, proving they can preserve the wood underneath the coating. The lacquer reaches a sufficient hardness within a few days, and its peak after several years. It has a very good resistance to heat and liquids (cf. Japanese lacquered kitchenware such as miso soup bowls).

As for furniture, wiped lacquer is not a fragile. You should take more care with the glossy lacquer due to its perfect flatness and gloss (mirror effect): any scratch on the surface or any dent will show (as it would on a polyurethane coating too). For this most exclusive finish, special caution should be taken: for careful customers only.

Nota: Japanese lacquer will darken over time, due to temperature and light, resulting in subtle color grade nuances. It is a natural phenomenom, well appreciated by tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose amateurs.

Yes but it is expensive as few people are experts in Japanese lacquer. Also you usually need to restore the whole surface, not only the damaged area.

THE AUTHENTIC JAPANESE FURNITURE does not offer a repair / restoration service, but we can direct you to a company specialized in Japanese furniture restoration.

As for new tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose: We can supply replacement parts (as long as they are available at our suppliers).

Japanese lacquer can provoke rash to some people. Usually only when it is liquid, i.e. during the furniture making process. However, in some rare cases in its dried form, as a finish. In case of rash, consult your doctor.

Both the wood and the lacquer being natural materials, we cannot guarrantee that 2 pieces of the same line will be exactly the same color.

Also, the color may be slightly altered when you look at our catalog pictures.

This is because of the raw material scarcity (the lacquer tree sap) and the labour needed to prepare the lacquer then apply it.

Generally speaking, in Japan, lacquered objects are luxury goods, targetting amateurs who want the very genuine traditional finish.

In parallel to the traditional Japanese lacquer finish, our craftsmen are offering the cashew nut shell finish for some of our tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose; an economic alternative to the Japan lacquer.

For an improved mechanic stability, most premium furniture over the world are nowadays made of veneer, and not plain wood anymore. It does not mean a lower quality... It's just the opposite.

As a matter of fact, once the wood has been sliced in boards, used in a piece of furniture, and covered with a coating, it will continue expanding and contracting with temperature and humidity variations. These changes being continous, it will eventually result in cracks, after a few months or many years. Consequences will be: visible cracks, loose wood pegs, doors or drawers which do not close, etc. (See the cracks on this antique tansutansu
Japanese chest, generally speaking piece of furniture for a storage purpose door, which was made of plain wood).