Mr. Masaru Kawai was born in the Gifu Prefecture in 1979. He first studied architecture at the Kyoto Seika University, and trained as a woodworker in Hida and upholstery in Kyoto, before establishing his own workshop in 2008. Having a strong desire to encourage others to rediscover the charm of wood through his brand “SOMA”, Mr. Kawai ingeniously injected traditional elements in his furniture and tableware design which can seamlessly blend into modern living spaces.