Endai was first designed as an outdoor bench to be placed outside of Ishinomaki’s temporary housing units. The goal was to have a piece of furniture that would allow residents to safely reach for the clothes drying area outside. In collaboration with craftsmen from the American furniture company Herman Miller, about one hundred and twenty benches were created by students from Ishinomaki Technical High school and local residents through a series of community workshops. With a simple aesthetic born out of necessity, the Endai bench has found itself being used in a variety of locations, such as offices and inns.