Presented in Europe by
JAPAN FORM
JAPAN FORM is a Stockholm-based platform presenting selected Japanese design and craftsmanship in Europe.
With roots in Japan and our lives now based in Sweden, our perspective has been shaped by both cultures. We select objects that can live naturally within contemporary European interiors, with attention to materials, craftsmanship, everyday use and lasting value.
JAPAN FORM currently presents TOBIMATSU Porcelain Lighting as a central part of our collection, while gradually expanding our selection of Japanese makers and products. We work with private clients, architects and interior designers, supporting the selection of pieces and how they are placed within a space, with installation support when needed.
Our aim is to create a meaningful connection between Japanese craftsmanship and everyday life in Europe — allowing each object to carry its own story, find a natural place in a new context, and become something that is lived with and valued over time.
Hironori Tsukue
Co-founder / Interior & Furniture Designer / Photographer
A graduate of Tokai University’s Product Design Programme in Japan and HDK’s MFA in Sweden, Hironori has lived and worked in Sweden since 1995. Based in Stockholm, he works across interior and furniture design and photography, bringing his experience of objects and spaces to JAPAN FORM’s selection and spatial approach.
Reiko Tsukue
Co-founder / Sales & Communications
Reiko has many years of experience in PR and marketing in Tokyo, working with Japanese and international brands and organisations whose products and services are closely connected to everyday life. At JAPAN FORM, she is responsible for sales and communications.
A note by Hironori, JAPAN FORM
When I first arrived in Sweden from Japan in January 1995, I was struck by the shortness of the daylight hours during winter. I could therefore immediately understand the emphasis placed on indoor lighting. Unlike in Japan, where we tend to light up entire rooms, the practice of placing lights selectively where needed made a strong impression on me. I also noticed that when decorating windows with plants and ornamental objects, small lights were used to create attractive spaces.
Discovering lamps from Tobimatsu, I was fascinated by his work. The unique material and forms, and their warm, delicate light have convinced me that they will blend well with Western style spaces.
© Tomoko Arai
Porcelain artist
Hirotaka Tobimatsu
Currently based in Tokyo, Hirotaka Tobimatsu was born in Saga prefecture in southern Japan in 1980. He graduated from the ceramics programme at Tama Art University, going on to work as an assistant to distinguished ceramic artists such as Machiko Ogawa and Takehiko Higuchi.
After setting up on his own, Tobimatsu began researching different casting techniques based on his previous experience of making objects using moulds. He is now focusing his activities on producing cast porcelain under the brand name “Tobimatsu Toki”. Having noticed certain qualities inherent in the material, he has found a method of increasing the translucency of the kaolin base, making it possible to develop a line of porcelain lamp shades.
The “milk glass” lamp shades so popular in Japan and elsewhere in the early 20th century, have been an inspiration as Tobimatsu explores new possibilities for lighting modern spaces. In terms of design, he has developed four different series, including the “odd line” series in which the finished pieces still feature the burrs (raised “seams”) formed by the plaster moulds, as a reminiscence of the casting process which is so central to his work.
Tobimatsu’s lamps have been shown in galleries all over Japan, winning praise for their beauty and delicacy. In 2023 he held a solo exhibition in Taiwan, and his work is attracting more and more attention internationally.