Rural Japan⏤Shunsuke & Rina Anai
Ransom Ltd. is proud to present three postcards from rural Japan in partnership with Philadelphia-based Peace Cabin. Stories from Itoshima to Kyushu: covering sustainable work & life, the Japanese culture of rest, and the pace of daily living.
Our final entry focuses on the daily life of Shunsuke & Rina Anai, designers, business owners and co-founders of FIL⏤living and working in the small town of Minamioguni in Kyushu, Japan. Here, the Anai family has owned and operated a cedar mill for nearly four generations.
In its heyday, the village boasted over 40 such mills. Today, there are two. As the world's relationship to nature changes, Shunske Anai and his wife Rina work to find innovative ways to carry the family business into the future. FIL was born out of this endeavor, merging their woodworking expertise with product design.
In addition to the family business the Anai's also opened their first hospitality experience: a tea house and cafe constructed from lumber milled from trees planted by Shunsuke’s grandfather. A culmination of generations of work, the cafe represents the Anai’s dedication to the town of Minamioguni, a space designed to facilitate beautiful experiences for locals while also drawing attention from visitors across Japan.
The Anai's philosophy with FIL is to explore what makes for a fulfilling life- meaningful work, intentional time spent with family and a focus on building up the local community.
Further Reading...
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Rural Japan⏤Shunsuke & Rina Anai
One families relationship with the local community and the landscape. In partnership with Peace Cabin. -
Rural Japan⏤Chiharu Hatakeyama
The sustainable lifestyle of Chiharu Hatakeyama in Itoshima, Japan. In Partnership with Peace Cabin. -
Rural Japan⏤Hozentai, Kurokawa Onsen.
Our time spent at a very special Ryokan in Southern Japan. In partnership with Peace Cabin.