| Name of the school | Shinagawa Ward Nursery School |
| Delivery Date | March 2020 |
| Target/Item | 0 to 5 years old/storage lockers, toy shelves, pretend kitchen, etc. |
A large-scale renovation project at a nursery school in Shinagawa, Tokyo was completed in March 2020. In conjunction with this, we delivered wooden furniture such as storage lockers and toy shelves to be used in each nursery room for children aged 0 to 5 years old.
Partition lockerImmediately upon entering the newborn room, there are lockers and storage shelves lined up in a horizontal row, which serve as both lockers and partitions to divide the room.
It can be said that dividing rooms with furniture has now become mainstream in childcare facilities such as nurseries and kindergartens.
The furniture is about 90cm high. It is just the right height for female teachers to stand and write, and is designed to not put strain on the body. In addition, by separating the area near the entrance with furniture, parents can smoothly hand over items to the childcare space without entering it.
The double-sided door allows parents to use the front side and teachers to use the back side, so it can be shared. If it was only one side, it would be a hassle to go through the door every time you put something in or take something out. This is a design that is easy to understand for busy daycare workers.
This is a lock that is difficult for small children to open, but easy for adults to open. Although it may look simple at first glance, it cannot be opened unless you push it hard and turn it. For small children, opening two doors at the same time is more difficult than adults think.
In addition, one of the storage shelves has no handle on the surface of the door, but has a handle recessed into the bottom of the door, making it more difficult to open.
The door is a sliding door that can be pulled into the back of the furniture. There are similar doors made by other manufacturers, but we thought it would be even better if they were made of wood, so we made one for Nakayoshi Library. The lock on this one is a bolt type, but it is attached on the opposite side to the childcare space. 
The white knob is the key. 
Door on the back of the storage shelf
Unlike melamine-coated plywood used for lightweight tables, cypress tables and chairs allow you to feel the scent and texture of natural wood, especially in your daily childcare life. We want children to experience the sensations that can only be felt from living wood, even from the age of 0.
The one-year-old room has low shelves and gentle corners. By dividing the room slightly, children can play in a calm space that feels like a secret hideout . Another feature of the Nakayoshi Library is that the corners are rounded so that cushioning material is not needed for the furniture, and each piece is made by hand with attention to the safety of the children. 
The boom in playing house starts around the age of one and a half. Especially in nursery schools, playing house is one of the most popular pastimes for both boys and girls.
This time, we made a slightly larger stove so that two children can stand next to each other and play comfortably. We also did not use any coloring, and expressed the shades of the stove and knobs with the color of the wood. By not adding many decorations, children can play pretend and the story will unfold with their imagination.
Clothes rack with mirrorMost of the furniture we delivered this time was not ready-made but custom-made. It is important to pay particular attention to the fact that it is something that will be used for a long time, and with just a little ingenuity, the burden of childcare can be reduced.
Nowadays, nurseries are overflowing with furniture and toys made of plastic. Plastic is by no means a bad thing, but by carefully checking the material and safety, you can play with it safely.
On the other hand, there are also products that contain a lot of plastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, and ABS resin, which you do not want to give to children.
It is impossible to eliminate these substances from our daily lives, but we believe that by incorporating even a small amount of wood products into our lives, we can promote the development of our senses and reduce the risk of harmful chemicals .
Because these wooden products are made from 100% natural materials, you can be confident that your children can use them.
