#HTE

Batch Production Shots of Small, Useful Objects, and a Very Unusual Japanese Door Lock

After graduating from the Hokkaido Institute of Design, Norio Tanno pursued his chosen field of furniture design. But he quit after just four years, feeling that his work wasn’t original. Instead he turned to creating tiny boxes.

That was around 40 years ago. He now runs Tanno Studio in Hokkaido, which produces small, useful objects of his own design and made from wood. Tanno makes them in batches and documents the processes on his site.

Scissors

USB Stick

Card Case

Crazy Door Lock

What caught my eye most was a photo shot by Kitka Design during a visit to Tanno’s shop. One of the craftsmen there made this puzzle-box-style door lock for a cabinet! The tiny storage drawers “need to be opened in a certain pattern to unlock the larger doors.”

Check out the shop visit here, and see more of Tanno’s stuff here.