Large Japanese Hinoki Bath Stool

I love this stool. I’m glad I bought the big one. Great quality and very beautiful.

Wave-Shaped Seat surface: I have not seen other hinoki chairs with wave-shaped seat surfaces.  Definitely innovative and creative.  In theory, it does increase the surface area and hopefully improve drying.  Will it trap water?  Hard to say.  My experience is that the wave will make an impression on your skin and could be annoying if you sit on it longer.  My solution, turn the chair on its side and you will have a smooth large surface with equally good seat height for me.  Also, I am not sure if the slot in the middle helps.  A smooth flat surface seems to work well for me.

Hinoki Wood: Good quality beautiful Japanese Hinoki solid wood.  Mostly clean wood except one panel with knots which may not be a bad thing.  I read that wood knots may have more resin.  When I opened the shipping box, the hinoki scent was strong, noticeable and pleasant. The scent won't be there everyday.  Once the chair is in the open, I don't notice the scent anymore even near it or on it.   When you are lucky, you will catch the wonderful smell, for example sometimes when I spray water on it.  I have taken baths in hinoki bathtubs in Japan and never smell the scent.  So, set your expectations accordingly.  Your bathroom won't smell like hinoki wood.  I actually prefer a scentless bathroom and home.Pricy: This is probably one of the more expensive hinoki chairs in the market.  I did receive and used the 5% coupon which helps a bit.  However, one needs to factor in a few things.  1. Express shipping from Japan is included.  Shipping was fast and probably expensive.  Packaging was excellent.  2. Large size.  Most Honiki chairs I saw are hot spring sized like you are sitting on the floor.  This size is perfect for me and I have a normal size shower.  

Craftsmanship: I did not see any glue, nail, screw, crack, splinter etc.  And the chair is very solid, no movement anywhere and everything is lined up correctly.  Excellent craftsmanship.  I air dry it near a window after use and the wood will dry up quickly.  It has been just a few weeks.  No mold and the chair looks brand new.  It probably required a lot of skilled work to make this chair and it is sold out now.

Online purchase experience: great website with many products, easy to order, not the cheapest because the quality is good.  I found at least one unique product, this one, that I cannot find anywhere else.  I am looking for excuses to purchase more products :-)

Overall, this is a great product and I recommend it.  Maybe offer a smooth one piece surface version.  Hopefully easier to make and cheaper. 

Thank you for the lovely bench- beautifully made and smells so good.

A couple surprises for me. First. I didn't realize the store is in Japan. 2nd the delivery is super fast! Super awesome! Great service and product is top notch! Definitely will shop here in future.