"Ecomoku," an online retailer of eco-friendly wood products, is operated by Sakuma Jinzai Co., Ltd., which was founded in 1905.

"Ecomoku," an online retailer of eco-friendly wood products, is operated by Sakuma Jinzai Co., Ltd., which was founded in 1905.
Since its launch in 2003, Ecomoku has steadily increased its sales and serves as an eco-friendly wood shop connecting end users with products.
● Products well-suited for online sales.
Sakuma Lumber was founded by its first-generation owner, a wood turner, and soon began processing and selling lumber.
Later, the company developed its own plywood for die-cutting—essential for manufacturing paper containers such as confectionery boxes—and now boasts the top market share in Japan in this field.
"The base of the die must be made of wood," says Kenji Sakuma, the fourth-generation owner.
Paper containers made of board or corrugated cardboard are cut and assembled by pressing the paper against a die with a blade fixed in the cutting area.
If the base that holds the blade is made of plastic, the blade will pop out under pressure.
For paper containers, creating a metal die is not cost-effective.
Sakuma Lumber's plywood for die-cutting, which alternates the grain direction of the wood fibers, offers superior performance by securing the blade from all four sides.
"Our concept is product development that leverages the unique properties of wood.
When we launched Ecomoku, one of our goals was to tap into new demand." The third-generation owner passed away unexpectedly due to illness, and Kenji Sakuma, the fourth-generation owner, took over the company at the age of 20.
Having grown up surrounded by wood, Sakuma says, "I rebelled against being called the fourth-generation head since childhood, so I left home to work for a condominium developer." He explains that while selling reinforced concrete condominiums, he came to appreciate the merits of wood once again.
When Sakuma took over in 1998, the company's financial situation was quite dire, with debt mounting, but Sakuma—who loved wood and had accumulated knowledge about it—was determined to find a way to sell it.
"It was just when creating websites was becoming popular.
If we were going to build a website, we had to highlight something that set us apart from other companies.
I thought about what kind of products would be suitable for selling online."
Wood is a living thing.
Even within the same species, the grain varies depending on where the tree grew.
Solid wood, which faithfully reflects those differences, is something you really want customers to touch and select in person.
After trying various options, I decided to handle environmentally friendly wood-based materials such as engineered wood and plywood.
"To put it bluntly, I believe that compared to materials derived from fossil fuels, like plastic, or metals—which are underground resources—any type of wood has a lower environmental impact.
However, we must ensure that our products do not contribute to environmental destruction. That's why we handle products made from wood sourced through a system where trees are replanted after being cut, ensuring no waste."
● Transparency is key.
All the products handled by Ecomoku were personally sourced by Mr. Sakuma.
In the beginning, even when I asked manufacturers about the origin of the wood or the type of adhesive used, I often didn't receive an immediate response.
We do not handle products for which information is not disclosed.
One of Ecomoku's defining features is that we clearly disclose information on every product, including its origin, the adhesives used, and the criteria for selection.
Domestic products include engineered wood and plywood made from cedar, cypress, and larch produced through afforestation.
We also carry products made from thinned timber and sawmill byproducts.
Since we cannot sustain our business with domestic timber alone, we also handle imported timber; however, we select products that are FSC-certified or produced through planned afforestation, focusing on distinctive items such as those made from small-diameter wood.
Furthermore, we have added products to our lineup made from parts of plants other than wood—such as Koryan boards—that were traditionally discarded.
Additionally, even if we are confident a product will sell well, we will not carry it if we have doubts about its environmental considerations.
Other companies already carry such products, and if we were to blur our selection criteria, Ecomoku would lose both its credibility and its uniqueness.
Eighty percent of our customers are individual consumers.
Although they account for only 20% of our sales, individual consumers use wood for a wide variety of purposes.
In addition to furniture, there are users who handcraft audio boxes for their cars—a use Sakuma says he "didn't even know existed."
Interactions with these customers have influenced product selection.
MDF (New Zealand wood-based board) compliant with the Green Procurement Law is the top seller among individual users, while white birch plywood (from Finland) is the best seller among professional users.
These are described as environmentally conscious products that retain the natural texture of wood.
The current goal is to increase this segment to 10% of annual sales.
In addition to selecting products with low environmental impact and disclosing information, Ecomoku is committed to high processing precision and affordability.
This is where the know-how accumulated by Sakuma Lumber comes into play.
Furthermore, for Ecomoku, a new business venture, they adopted a system with no inventory.
Orders are placed—including for processing—only after receiving a customer's order.
This offers the advantage of being able to respond meticulously to customer requests.
What is crucial here is having extensive product knowledge and the ability to make proposals tailored to specific requests.
As the company has expanded its product lineup, it has also attracted attention from manufacturers.
"Major corporations and manufacturers from the Czech Republic have visited us, wanting to hear firsthand accounts from those closest to the end users.
It's gratifying to be viewed in that light," says Sakuma, expressing his sense of accomplishment.
With the aim of "helping more people who rarely come into contact with wood to appreciate its qualities," Sakuma has launched an online shop featuring wooden goods, which has also boosted demand for interior design materials at the store.
A diverse lineup.
The business is growing, and they plan to hire more staff soon.
"We receive inquiries about domestic timber from clients such as major general contractors.
For example, we've supplied wood for wainscoting in hospital hallways." Additionally, at the official shop for the "MOTTAINAI Campaign"—advocated by environmental activist Wangari Maathai and opened in April 2007 (located inside Yoshizuya Tsushima Main Store in Tsushima City, Aichi Prefecture)—"Eswood" (a product of Shinwa Timber Products in Gifu Prefecture) made from sustainably harvested domestic cypress was adopted.
Furthermore, for about six months after Ecomoku was launched in October 2003, monthly sales were around 10,000 yen, but after one year, they reached 500,000 yen, and have since grown to ten times that amount.
The company hopes this will account for 5% of Sakuma Lumber's annual sales.
And, of course, reviving lost techniques is no easy task.
Taking all this into account, we look forward to the future of Ecomoku, a unique entity that could be called a "wood eco-shop."