Perfectly Yours: Bespoke Marunao Chopsticks
An opportunity to create chopsticks crafted exactly to your specifications
During Marunao's Los Angeles visit this December, you can order fully personalized chopsticks from Japan's generational craftsmen. Meet and talk with Takahiro Fukuda, Marunao's third-generation owner, in person as you design chopsticks tailored precisely to your hand, your dining style, and your aesthetic.
Event Details
- Fri, Dec 5 - Sun, Dec 7, 2025
- ARJ Los Angeles - ROW DTLA or Santa Monica
Count Me In
EXPLORE IN PERSON & MEET THE MAKERS
Explore Marunao's customization options in person at ARJ Los Angeles. Handle samples of premium woods like Snakewood (used in the world's finest violins), feel the difference between eight-sided and sixteen-sided profiles, and discover which tip thickness best suits your dining preferences.
Takahiro Fukuda, Marunao's third-generation owner, and manager Shiori Watanabe will be in-store to share insights from 85 years of chopstick-making expertise at Marunao. Don't miss the workshops where you can craft your own chopsticks and experience Japanese dining culture.
In-Store Dates:
- Friday, December 5 & Saturday, December 6: ARJ Los Angeles @ ROW DTLA
- Sunday, December 7: ARJ Los Angeles @ Santa Monica
CUSTOM ORDERING: 5 ELEMENTS TO PERSONALIZE
1. Base Material • Snakewood (four distinct pattern variations) / Indian Rosewood / Ebony (standard and select) / Lignum Vitae / Granadillo
2. Shape (Model Form) • Eight-sided (Deluxe or Premium) / Sixteen-sided (Premium) / Round / Square
3. Length • Travel (210-215mm) / Obento (220-225mm) / Unisex (235-245mm) / Professional (250mm)
4. Tip Thickness • 3mm for ramen and noodles / 2.5mm for everyday use / 2mm for sushi / 1.5mm for professional precision
5. Inlay Decoration • Round: Silver 950 / Black pearl / White pearl; Square: 18kt gold / Ebony wood / Bocote wood / Granadillo wood
Custom orders can be placed during the workshop dates (December 5-7, 2025). Your bespoke chopsticks will be handcrafted in Sanjo City, Japan, and shipped to you once complete. Lead time will depend on material selection and customization choices.
ABOUT MARUNAO
The story of Marunao begins with the sacred tools of Japanese carpentry. Founded in 1939 by Naoyoshi Fukuda (福田直悦) in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture in central Japan, Marunao originally specialized in crafting sumitsubo (traditional ink-pots), essential instruments used by master carpenters for marking straight lines when building Japanese houses. For over 80 years, Marunao produced these tools and decorative sculptures for temples and shrines, perfecting their craft through traditional hand-carving methods.
In 2003, under Takahiro Fukuda (福田隆宏), the third generation of the Fukuda family, Marunao transitioned into creating chopsticks. Drawing on decades of expertise in working with ebony and shitan wood, Marunao applies the same meticulous craftsmanship to every pair of chopsticks, from the precision-carved 1.5mm octagonal tips to the careful selection of precious hardwoods. Each piece is crafted to be both beautiful and functional, designed to be touched by hand and used within the mouth.
Marunao opened their headquarters in 2014 in Sanjo City as a combined factory, gallery, and retail shop. Their Wakisashi cutlery series received Germany's Red Dot Design Award in 2017, and the brand has exhibited at prestigious design shows including Maison & Objet in Paris, Ambiente in Frankfurt, and Salone del Mobile in Milan. In 2019, Marunao opened direct retail locations in Tokyo's Aoyama district and Paris, becoming the first Niigata manufacturing company to establish a store in France.
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