La Luz

Odawara City in Kanagawa Prefecture is well known for its wooden products along with the neighboring area of Hakone. La Luz, with their head office located in Odawara, was founded in 1994 by Mr. Hidekazu Aida who was born here. “La Luz” means “the light” in Spanish. Mr. Aida loves the nature that Odawara has to offer and he wants to preserve the forest and the sea. In his personal life, he is a surfer with 30 years of experience. La Luz’s business started with wooden products and grew to include consignment manufacturing. In 2012, they expanded their manufacturing capacity by acquiring an ailing factory. Their “Hikiyose” series of tableware which was well received in Europe as well as in Japan uses the traditional techniques of woodturning which expresses the simple taste of wood combined with a modern design.

La Luz is proud of their wooden products business which include their own products and OEM. In Odawara, two traditional wood working techniques were passed down, one is “yosegi” or parquet which is combining various kinds of wood to create patterns and the other is “hikimono”, or wood turning which is carving lumber into round shaped items such as bowls by using a wood lathe. Combining both techniques, La Luz is making a wide range of wooden products using the best characteristic of each technique. Hikiyose is their flagship product which showcases the skillful combination of the two different techniques.

As a result of exploring the possibilities of preserving the forest, Hikiyose was created. Through their skillful technique of wood turning, Hikiyose’s wood products are smooth to the touch. In 2014, they received the Good Design Award. Using eco-friendly materials which help in reducing deforestation, La Luz continues as a professional woodworking company that values harmony with nature.