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durability of different woods

I was told that sawara has poor durability compared to hinoki and kouyamaki is better durability,… can you clarify? which is better for longevity and mold resistance and cracking?
Hinoki contains more aromatic oil than sawara so in a test environment it can be said that it is more resistant… Anyway the secret to have a long lasting ofuro is love and care. Like a nice pair of leather shoes: it is smart to prevent problems with a constant even if easy maintenance. In case you need to repair a problem it will be costly and time consuming and you will never be able to restore the original condition 100%. It does not matter too much which type of wood you use. Just avoid contact with soap and dry condition. And ventilate well to avoid mold. It is that simple.

0 size – outlet tub – SOLD OUT

(sorry, sold out)

As the famous movie title goes “Some like it hot”.
Some like it “large”, some like it “small”.
At Bartok design we produce custom made ofuros without the “custom made” option cost!
Said that our most convenient deals are of course in the “outlet tub” corner.
Immaculate brand new, never used ofuros either resulting from clients changing their mind or produced in between orders thus optimizing the costs beyond the reasonable.

In the case of outlet ofuros, of course, you cannot change the size but who knows: sometimes the perfect match comes as a gift from the destiny!

Some like it curvy like Sofia Loren who stated: “everything you see I owe it to pasta”. Some like it minimal like Kate Moss and the contrast between the minuteness of her body and the depth of her eyes.

This outlet tub is definitely the Kate Moss type. It uses the most refined hinoki lumber, has a very compact size but is deep inside: offering a perfect comfort even in a tiny bathroom space. The quintessential 0 size!

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Give the Gift of Pure Nature

Hinoki Esential Oil is both calming and uplifting. Like the scent of a forest on a warm summer day, the scent of Hinoki is earthy, lemony, fresh.

Our original Bartok design Hinoki Essential Oil is the purest you will find. We extract the oil ourselves from off-cuts, shavings and wood chips – all real wood. There are no twigs, leaves or bark in our product resulting in a pure clean scent that is unparalleled. The complexity of our oils is exceptionally deep.

Hinoki Essential Oil
Hinoki Essential Oil made by Bartok design
The Bartok design Pocket Onsen set is a gift box ready for holiday giving

The Bartok design Pocket Onsen Set contains a choice of two oils:

  • Hinoki Cypress is extracted from trees roughly 40 years old. A ‘young tree’ used in construction, for decorative items, religious artefacts and furniture. Our bath accessories are made from this wood which gives us a good supply of offcuts from which to extract the gorgeous essential oil.
  • Special Reserve Hinoki 250 is extracted from mature growth trees, usually at least 250 years old. The wood from older trees is compacted tightly which makes it ideal for use in wet zones such as the bathroom. Therefore we use this wood to make our Japanese ‘ofuro’ soaking tubs. Like a fine wine, cheese or whiskey, the aged product has a complexity and depth not seen in younger wood.

    *It is also possible to order a ‘compare set’ with one of each oil.
Instant onsen
Instant Onsen
special reserve hinoki 250 years oil made in japan
Hinoki Japanese Cypress extracted and bottled by Bartok design
Each Pocket Onsen set comes with three orbs made from hinoki.
Order your Pocket Onsen here

Refined Elegance: Contrast and Texture

Our friends at Nora Studios sent us a few of the preliminary photos of a recent bathroom installation. It’s stunningly beautiful. The contrast of warm wood and cool stone is magnificent.

Ofuro specs: japanese Knotless hinoki wood bathtub (quarter-sawn)
dim L1060 x W660 x H629mm (ext. dim.) 570mm(deep)
nat. oil @ apron, wood dowels. Iron brand at front side top-right
(Accessories are available from our shop)

It is difficult to understand it from the pictures as the sizes are so laser-perfect… but the tub feet are recessed in a ditch which collects the drain water as well as the overflow. Amazing detailing!

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a tropical heaven overlooking the north sea!

According to the client, the installation is still incomplete: the shower glass partition is missing and the faucet inside the spout needs to be modified. Also the lighting fixtures are still missing – but since the boreal spring provides some light until late in the evening, the ofuro is already operational.
Well, this space seems already PERFECT to me !
I cannot imagine how it will be when it is complete with all the bells and whistles!

from the window. A tropical heaven overlooking a Norwegian fjord!
look at the water droplets! this picture is so inspiring!
what a wonderful smile! Natural? Hinoki induced?

This beautiful bathroom was designed by Oslo architects Skajaa Arkitektkontor, outstanding job!

Wandering the Nakasendo

According to the newspaper it’s popular among tourists to hike the Nakasendo trail between Magome and Tsumago post towns. We opted for the easy way – rented a car. But still, the views were stunning and having a car afforded us the opportunity to see more than just the trail towns.

The Nakasendo is an ancient foot highway that connected Tokyo (or Edo as it was known then) with the rest of Japan to the west. Follow the whole road and you will eventually arrive in Kyoto. It dates back to the 1700s.

Our interest in this area stems from two things: we enjoy learning about and appreciating Japanese history; and we are enamoured with the forests of Japan. The portion of the Nakasendo which is best preserved is in a geographic area called the Kiso Valley. In this area you will see the massive forests of conifer trees, Japanese hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), sawara (Chamaecyparis pisifera ). These are just two of the Five Sacred Trees of Kiso which are favoured by bathmakers.

We started our trip in Nagoya, which is centrally located between Osaka and Tokyo. It made a convenient meeting point for our party of three. Getting an early start towards Gifu prefecture was made easier for being only an hour or so away.

Day One

We took an express train from Nagoya station to Ena station. We had arranged to pick up our car from Ena. The map showed where the rental place was but we were not sure if it was walkable or a taxi was a better idea. Calling into the Ena Tourist Information centre gave us our answer (taxi) and a whole host of other information.

Following the advice of the Tourist Info Centre, we spent the morning walking along a part of the Nakasendo that isn’t as well preserved as what we would later see, but still a nice stroll with enough interesting facts to get us excited about the rest of the trip.

After lunch, we took in the view from the Shinonomeo Bridge, which overlooks the Kiso River. With free parking nearby and quite an elevation, this was a great tidbit to learn.

You can see how high we were because look at the tiny car on the right! And this was our first glimpse at the forests!

Shinonomeo Bridge
Overlooking the Kiso River

Our next stop was the ruins of the Naegi Castle. This time we were immersed in the forests and got to experience the feeling of shinrin yoku briefly (forest bathing), although being a public holiday it was busier than usual.

The short hike from the carpark was worth it. Look at the views over the Kiso Valley! Look at the trees!

  • Kiso Valley from Naegi Ruins, Ena
  • Kiso Valley
  • Naegi Castle Ruins
  • Kiso River

Day Two

The first post town of significance we visited was the beautifully preserved Magome Juku.

Magome Juku – these homes are between 100 and 300 years old
Magome Juku on the Nakasendo in Gifu Prefecture
A souvenir shop on the Nakasendo
It’s not a long hike between the post towns – this was about halfway, near the Odaki Waterfalls

Our next stop was Tsumago Juku. One of our favourite places was the old school – built from wood of course! It closed in the late nineties.

Kyu Nagisocho Tachitsumagosho School
Kyu Nagisocho Tachitsumagosho School
Each building and shop is decorated with flowers

A lot of effort has gone into preserving this area and piece of Japanese history. According to Wikipedia the area prospered until a major vehicle highway in the area bypassed the towns. Facing demise and economic ruin a few of the towns’ forefathers elected to renovate the old houses and buildings. In 1987 the central government granted them historic status.

This whole area is fascinating especially if you’ve come to Japan and are hoping to see some history but are feeling overwhelmed by the number of temples and shrines. The Nakasendo / Kiso Valley area is very much a piece of history with roots in commercialism – the trade routes of Japan. It makes for a nice change of pace because it’s more recent history than the temples which date back thousands of years. It’s actually possible to imagine walking along these routes, stopping for a night in a ryokan inn, grabbing a plate of local soba. I highly recommend you visit!

Sacred Trees of Kiso Valley

In my next post I will talk more about the trees, forests and how important they are both now and then, to the ofuro makers, such as Bartok design.

If you are interested in tracing our route please take a look at the custom map I created on Google maps of our stops. I am more than happy to give more information on anything. -Jacqui (Bartok design team member)

https://goo.gl/maps/wv9v81eWKyu5bu9x8

Timeless standard – outlet tub – SOLD OUT

(sorry, sold out)

Here we are dazzled by new emperor-era names, displaced by an uncommonly cold and rainy springtime and preparing for an extra long (but already fully booked) Golden Week holiday break.
In these periods I recommend to lay back and wait for the confusion to clear.
Maybe you can have a cup of hoji-tea and listen to some old time classics like Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday.
Timeless standards can reassure us that also this storm will pass, after all, and every winter (no matter how long or cold) always evolves into a springtime…

But if you try all of the above and the melancholy is still there, we have another “timeless standard” to propose as an infallible antidote to a bad day: a hot ofuro bath!

If you do not have one yet, look at this outlet ofuro tub.
Its outstanding feature is … to be not outstanding: it is a “timeless standard”.
Good for 2 people, in hinoki wood (not asnaro) and with a removable internal seat (already included in the price).
This is probably in the strike zone of 90% of the people who are looking for an ofuro.
2 people / hinoki / internal seat.
The only non standard part of this ofuro is the price: 650,000 JPY !!

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A gentle personality: Sawara

Sawara Cypress
The sawara cypress tree (Chamaecyparis pisifera) is very similar in appearance to the hinoki cypress tree. It grows slowly but can reach a height of up to 50m. As one of the Five Trees of Kiso it is highly-valued wood though it ranks below the hinoki which means there are more growing naturally in the forests of Japan. Both hinoki and sawara are sensitive to pollution which means they’re grown away from urban populations.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species there is no cause for alarm, the tree is well-represented and is classified as ‘Least Concern’. This is good news for wood-lovers and conservationists. Nevertheless, our suppliers manage the entire forest carefully with regard to the longevity of this eco-system.

Properties of Sawara
Sawara has a warm cherry-like color, a beautiful straight grain and is very aromatic. The beautiful fine color of the wood reflects the pure environment in which the trees grow. Sawara appeals to those who think hinoki is too pale. Sawara shares the same rot-resistant qualities as hinoki and is used in the construction of shrines and temples and of course ofuro bathtubs.

Sawara is becoming a very popular material also among the Japan-lover community because of its color and reasonable price.

Scale-like Leaves: Asnaro

asnaro

Asnaro
I was really excited to find these labeled specimens in the Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens. Only one problem, I’m having trouble distinguishing them, now that I am back at the office. I think this one pictured above is asunaro/asnaro (Thujopsis dolabrata). I really love the scaly configuration of these leaves.

The asunaro is also called hiba. It’s an evergreen tree in the cypress family. This particular specimen was found in Hokkaido so it’s a rarer variation, the Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondai.

Nevertheless this tree grows quite readily across the four islands of Japan in the Thujopsis dolabrata var. dolabrata variety. According to the The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species this species is stable. It gets an LC (least concern) rating as it is planted in state-controlled forests where it grows well. Read more about hiba-arbor-vitae here on the IUCN Red List.

Hiba Arbor-vitae is an important forest tree in Japan and is one of the ‘five trees of Kiso’ (all are conifers) originally reserved for imperial use. There are now managed state forests with this species as the dominant tree besides some imperial forests. Its light, soft, resinless and durable wood is used in construction, for bridges, buildings, furniture, the wooden basis of lacquer work, wood carving, etc.

 

The choice for your ofuro
As far as ofuro go we recommend asnaro more often than any other wood because of the cost advantage and the durability of this wood. It is harder to damage than say hinoki or sawara. We think you will love it too.

 

Hybrid Japanese Soaking Tubs

You love Japanese traditional wooden bathtubs but you wish they did not have exposed metal parts? You want crack-proof construction? Embedded overflow? Sexy, organic shapes? Read on!

Kintai bridge

I have a mission as a “bridge” to connect master Japanese craftsmen with Japan-lovers worldwide. As a designer, I like to apply the Japanese proverb which states that it is not by chance that men have one mouth and two ears. I like to listen to the requests of my clients and customize, adapt the shapes and details of my ofuros to match the space and the functionality that is needed, case by case.

Thanks to your inquiries about details such as top rim overflow cuts, removable seats, reversible covers, slanted walls, sloped bottom plank and more, I present … the “kakehashi tub”.

New Technology
All of the requested details have been incorporated into this brand-new product design, which I’m calling the “kakehashi tub”.

This amazing modern bathtub can be made in any convex curve and even concave shapes! The curved walls can be straight or even slanted in and out, free as a freehand sketch.

Our prototype Kakehashi ofuro is crescent-shaped. Perfect for 2 people, the moon-shaped ofuro is a tribute to the lunar side of the Japanese aesthetics.

Features

  • pneumatic controlled popup drain
  • overflow system concealed inside the walls
  • no exposed metal parts and the look is very organic and natural
  • curved, concave, convex walls
  • any shape

Kakehashi means bridge. This idea connects and conjugates tradition with innovation; natural materials with cutting-edge technology; and Japanese sensibility with a world of sensuously curved shapes. If you are looking for something sleek, yet rooted in tradition you are ready for this new product.

japanese soaking tub kakehashi

Technological Breakthrough

The technological breakthrough of the Kakehashi ofuro is its laminated structure.
The walls of the tub are made from a fiberglass mold.
Upon this mold we construct an internal and an external layer of solid quarter-sawn Japanese timber (7-15mm thick).
Essentially the fiberglass core is sandwiched between the layers of wood.
The core gives stability to the bathtub.
The fiberglass also partially compensates for the expansion and contraction of the wood.
Structural support against the pressure of the water is provided by the core thus eliminating the need for metal bands on the outside of the bath.

You can also download here a summary of this page in pdf format.

Best of both worlds

The Kakehashi ofuro can be made from premium Kiso Valley hinoki and asnaro wood from Aomori Prefecture.

Enjoy the same pure aroma and soft touch of our traditionally-built wooden ofuro.
It is a wooden Japanese bathtub adapted to the modern environment.
Imagine a gorgeous pale hinoki bath in your modern bathroom.

Traditional

Our company specialises in the design and production of traditional Japanese bathtubs made with hinoki wood and other Japanese conifers (asnaro, sawara, koyamaki). The traditional tub has some limitations in its design and functionality. It also doesn’t suit all tastes. It has been a few years now that I am caressing this new project. What strikes me about Japanese bathtubs is their minimalist design. They are very modern while being traditional.

For those who are attracted by the naturalism and the historical heritage behind the ofuro, then our present custom-order bathtubs produced by Bartok design are perfect for you. With the traditional techniques, it is possible to create circular, oval shapes or round cornered rectangles but with the limitation of having to cope with the metal bands which are needed to keep the barrel-type construction together under the pressure from the water.

We have always made and will continue to make these tubs.

Traditional crafts are in a difficult conjuncture and if we do not find alternative markets and products suitable for contemporary demand, tradtional handicrafts will be abandoned. That is why we are passionate about the Kakehashi ofuro. The Kakehashi project is also meant to bridge the knowledge of the traditional carpenters towards a stable and bright future.

By ordering any Bartok design ofuro you are helping preserve Japanese traditional crafts as they are passed to the next generation. Our craftsmen are excited about exploring these challenges with you.

Pricing

As a ballpark value, hybrid bathtubs are about 2.5 times more expensive than the traditional type.
Consider that it is like building 2 separate shells of solid wood and assembling them together.
I think it is over-spec to use this technology for a normal tub, anyway, it has meaning if used to render complex/organic shapes with concave/convex faces or if used for design reasons when it is preferable to avoid metal banding (in a round/oval tub) or wooden dowels/copper plates (in a box type bathtub)
Also, hybrid technology may be chosen as an extra safety measure (compliance) against leaks, for instance when installed on a yacht.

To order

To start the order process please use the contact form below or contact us by email. What shape are you dreaming of?

Kakehashi Inquiry

Download a PDF of the Kakehashi Hybrid Ofuro

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