If you are a wood carver, you'd be thrilled by the whole selection of wood materials and services offered by the shop! "We have woods of over 100 species from around the world and we want to accumulate as many kinds of wood as possible to offer to our customers," says Mr. Iseki Kazuo, the president of Mokumoku Co., Ltd.

They not only have wide variety of woods, but also offers pieces in various size and shape. On some shelves, there are piles of small pieces of wood from which you can choose. As far as I could see, there were such small pieces costing a couple of hundred yen through one or two thousand yen.

It is also possible to examine a large piece and have it cut into the size or shape that you want. The price of a piece varies, depending on quality, size, weight, and other conditions.

The shop accepts telephone order and offers shipment service (unfortunately, those services are available only in Japan). However, they suggest that it's better for you to take a look at materials before purchasing them. In addition, they invite you to be a member of the shop. The membership include 5% discount for a part of the materials they offer, and also a newsletter announcing sales, etc.

Mr. Iseki has been a wholesaler of wood for many years, and he opened this retail shop about ten years ago for anybody who wants to buy pieces of wood, regardless of size and quantity. The shop was named as such to be accessible to everyone (for me, the name conjures up an image of woods pouring from somewhere, probably because in Japanese there is a mimetic word "mokumoku" describing, for example, pouring smoke from chimney, and the Chinese character for wood has a reading "moku").

Mr. Iseki and his son Masata (senior vice-president) unstintingly share their vast knowledge in wood with customers. They sometimes show up in the store, so if you are lucky, you can see them and talk to them! The shop is located in Shinkiba, famous place for wood business.

It only takes about 20 minutes from Ginza (by subway, for example). If you are a wood carver and if you come to Tokyo, this place is a must to visit!

Komada Makiko

Postscript: This article was written around the year 2000.