Inspired by the clear yet natural sound of the grand piano, the Soundwoods sound system - a technological breakthrough by inventor Kinpei Yokohama - creates a unique body conduction by directly resonating the structure of wood fibres.
The Kinpei sound system is inspired by the centuries-old technology of the violin and piano. Taking the form of a simple slice of ancient cedar, it creates sound by causing the entire body of the wood resonate; generating a sound that - whilst crystal clear - retains an element of natural-ness that is simply not found in conventional audio systems. It is heard not only through one's ears but also through the entire body, like at concerts held in the best chamber music halls.
With the mixture of the pinpoint-driven speaker and large diaphragm, Kinpei Yokohama succeeded to make the sound system that covers almost all of sound ranges. Unlike the conventional audio systems, which has surface-driven structure with the sound dispersed and deconcentrated, this new technology enables to express the pure and clear sound of high soprano. It was a breakthrough in this area that led Yokohama to create the Soundwoods technology, which powers the Kinpei sound system and creates resonance throughout the whole body of the wood.
The wood used in the Kinpei system are taken from forests that have been cultivated since medieval times in Japan. In the 20th century, Japan's forestry supported its rapid growth and industrialization, but in the more stable times of the current era, there is less need for lumber as a building material. A question mark now exists over how these cultivated forests - which require human maintenance and intervention to remain in balance - can be used and preserved. The Kinpei sound system was created with this question - of how to create demand for sustainable wood - in mind.
The wood used for Edition #M01 is taken from Miyama cedar - trees drawn from the forests of Ise, famous as the site of Japan's most important shrine. The trees are at least three centuries old, as the fine grain and wide, dense trunk visibly testifies. This is an exclusive collection, drawn from fallen trees due to the natural disasters from Japan's most hallowed forest.
Our signature collection for home use will be released this winter, 2021. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep updated.
"Growing up in a wooden house, and spending my childhood playing in the forests, trees have always been familiar to me. Through my connection to woodland and forestry, I thought a lot about the past and the future of the forests, which were so critical to Japan's development after the war. A cultivated forest is not like a natural forest - once it has been touched by human hands, it must be constantly maintained to remain in equilibrium. The area around Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, where I’m based, is surrounded by such human-maintained forests, such as Mount Koya, Kumano Kodo, Yoshino and Ise. We need to continue to act as stewards for the forests; for example, trees that have stopped growing have to be removed, so that light can circulate throughout the forest and permit new growth. The Hayami Forestry Area, which I've long been in contact with, helps keep the springs and streams clear after typhoons, for example. The water doesn't get muddy because all the elements of the forest - trees at different stages of growth, other plants, and dead leaves - naturally decay into soil and so help to retain water. This is possible because of the human wisdom that has been gained through long experience of working alongside the forest".
"But now, the number of people who understand the workings of the forests and the mountains is decreasing. After the war, excessive logging for building materials upset the balance of the forests. I truly understand the need that they had to rebuild the country, so I cannot say that it was good or bad, but I think it is important that we acknowledge its effects. If you put too much pressure on any one place, it will lose its balance and start to break down. Now that less construction is done with wood, how do we use this forest, and if we do not use it, how can we protect it? I always think about the forests with two images in mind - that of the forests 300 years ago, and 300 years from now. This is the kind of time-scale you need to use when thinking about woodland. The Kinpei sound system was my own small contribution towards a solution for this problem".
"It was about 10 years ago that the image of the Kinpei sound system fully formed in my mind for the first time. I wanted to make it sound like the whole tree was resonating at once. But at that time, my knowledge of acoustics was pretty much zero, and the electrical parts to make this happen simply didn't exist anywhere. It wasn't until recently that I finally achieved the sound I had always been looking for, and this is when Kinpei came into being. Why did I continue to pursue this project when I simply wasn't getting the results I had been hoping for? Because I was always able to hear that sound that I was hoping for, except only in my own head. I knew that all that was missing were the techniques and the technology, and I knew that I could eventually figure that bit out. So it was very gradual, and little by little, patent by patent, it came into place.
"In a nutshell, Soundwoods - the sound technology I created - is about concentrating or expanding energy. First, I determine the focus of the sound, which is the central point of the energy. A rod - called a sound column - is fixed there. This is a technology that resonates with, and spreads, the sound radially. It is possible to make a gymnasium wood floor of, say, 21 by 30 metres, resonate using this device. It took 3 years to figure out the mechanics of the sound column, but I realized that we can take inspiration from the technology of the past. I made the driver unit myself, and tried various shapes and patterns, but fundamentally the simpler ones are the most reliable and hardest to break. After a great deal of experimentation and iteration, I was able to create the sound I wanted with increasing quality and reliability".
"The ideal I had for the sound was a grand piano, or a classical European chamber music hall. In the latter case, it is the sound of the entire space that resonates and is felt by your whole body. That's why my current sound can be "heard" by people with hearing disabilities. The sound I initially got when I started experimenting was completely different from what I had hoped for, so I obtained a grand piano soundboard and just started tapping it to check how it echoed and resonated. As a result of that, nowadays I can tell what kind of sound I would end up with just from touching or tapping a piece of wood. For a good piano, the selection of the material and the internal structure is essential. These simple things are always the most important. I can figure out how to get the correct result from each tree by looking at its basic characteristics - its size, weight, thickness, grain, and texture".
"Fortunately, I had friends around me who provided me with places to experiment; they were willing to lend me their homes even though it was far from clear that I would end up with any kind of positive outcome. For example, I designed the sound system for a house and made it where the entire ceiling has its own sound; so you can lie down on the ceiling, in the attic, and feel the vibration of the sound directly into your body. Also, I designed for a traditional Japanese house where you can enjoy a sound similar to that of a pipe organ in an old church, just by placing a sound system on either side of the triangular space that the house occupies. Unlike the even, controlled sound that gets produced by modern speakers, wood creates a sound similar to a musical instrument - precise, but not uniform. It's a sound you'd never get tired of, even if you listen to it all the time, in the same way that you'd never get tired of the sounds of the forest, or the sea. It is a sound that is fundamentally compatible with the human body and mind".
"I met Keita Suzuki, the product designer, at a really good time. My driver unit is now in its 7th generation, but he wouldn't have been able to figure out how to work on it if he had seen the earlier, less successful versions. The moment I met him, I knew that I could count on him for everything. We are going to announce other Kinpei projects - beyond the Miyama cedar collection. I reviewed the structure of the wood and the driver unit in order to synchronize with Keita's design, and to make the whole product more perfect. In a sense, if I can create a sound that matches with his designs and sensibilities, I feel like I would be able to achieve sound reproduction like a classical musical instrument producer - say, one of the old Italian makers - whom I have always had great respect for. I still have many new ideas, and I can't wait to try them out".
In 1997, Yokohama established the "Forest Workers’ Association" in Japan's Mie Prefecture, in order to promote the forests that had fascinated him since his youth. He worked to develop sources of high-quality, sustainably sourced housing materials alongside local foresters. In his professional career, he has worked as an inventor and product developer, and holds multiple patents in related fields. Yokohama's two obsessions - with ancient lumber and with modern technology – made him uniquely placed to develop the Kinpei sound system.
Under the influence of his grandfather, Suzuki became interested in Japanese antiques, which later motivated him to become a product designer. In 2012, he founded a company, the "Product Design Center". In projects both within Japan and overseas, he has produced varied designs including train carriages, products for daily home use, interior design and work alongside traditional craftsmen.
Established in 2018, Navel Japan is so named because of its base in Matsusaka city in Mie prefecture - both culturally and geographically said to be the centre of Japan. It was created to support the emergent technologies and talents of the city, where has been a gateway to Ise Jingu - Japan's most revered shrine - since ancient times, and has produced many influential people over the centuries.