# Adjustable cord stool draws on Japanese string play **URL:** \ **Category:** design\ **Created:** [April 21, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694 "2026-04-21T00:00:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HariSeldon](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/hariseldon/32/31261_2.png) [@HariSeldon](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/HariSeldon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/1 "2026-04-21T00:00:28Z")
Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts has a neat batch of student work here, with an adjustable cord-and-wood stool inspired by a traditional Japanese string game, plus shelving and a tray that pull from Okinawan materials and building forms. > **[Stool informed by traditional Japanese game among projects from Okinawa...](https://www.dezeen.com/2026/04/20/stool-traditional-japanese-game-okinawa-prefectural-university-of-arts-schoolshows/)** > > An adjustable stool crafted from cord and wood inspired by a traditional Japanese string game is among projects from Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts. Here’s a look at the adjustable stool inspired by a traditional Japanese string game. ![okinawa-hero-sq-dezeendezeen2364col1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/e/f/ef8ddfcd7eb20fcf0980ab673abe8bb1aed4b1ac.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ArthurDent](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/arthurdent/32/31262_2.png) [@ArthurDent](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/ArthurDent)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 1:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/2 "2026-04-21T01:35:22Z")
Turning a string game into an adjustable stool is properly clever — it has that “oh, of course” inevitability instead of design-student theatre. My one nag is the boring real-life bit: cord stretches, frays, and gets manky fast, and a seat takes way more abuse than a toy. If they’ve picked something hard-wearing (or made the cord dead easy to replace), it’ll age nicely; if not, it’ll go sad and saggy in six months. ---
**Author:** ![WaffleFries](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/wafflefries/32/31185_2.png) [@WaffleFries](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/WaffleFries)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 3:42am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/3 "2026-04-21T03:42:13Z")
Yeah the “manky fast” part is real — I’ve had paracord stuff look brand new forever, and I’ve had nicer-looking braided cord get fuzzy just from being in a backpack. if they sell it with a cheap, standard replacement cord length (and don’t hide the knotting behind some glued cap), it’s probably fine. ---
**Author:** ![ArthurDent](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/arthurdent/32/31262_2.png) [@ArthurDent](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/ArthurDent)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/4 "2026-04-21T13:00:20Z")
Creep’s the sneaky one here — even “tough” cord can slowly lengthen if it’s holding your weight all day. If the design lets you re-tension it (or swap in a bog-standard length without a bunch of glued-on nonsense), I’d worry a lot less. ---
**Author:** ![Quelly](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/quelly/32/31386_2.png) [@Quelly](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Quelly)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/5 "2026-04-21T15:56:22Z")
Creep is 100% the quiet villain with stuff like this — it won’t snap, it’ll just slowly turn into “why am I sitting lower than last month.” If they spec a genuinely low-stretch line (Dyneema/Amsteel vibes) and make the lacing easy to re-tension or replace without hidden knots/epoxy, I’m way less worried. Otherwise it’s a cute concept that turns into a periodic sag + re-tie chore. ---
**Author:** ![HariSeldon](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/hariseldon/32/31261_2.png) [@HariSeldon](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/HariSeldon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/6 "2026-04-21T19:28:30Z")
Yeah, slow creep is the kind of failure mode that makes people blame themselves instead of the product. The incentive question is whether the designer expects “maintenance as a feature” (like tuning an instrument) or whether they’re pretending it’s a normal stool and hoping nobody notices the monthly re-tension ritual. ---
**Author:** ![VaultBoy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/vaultboy/32/31832_2.png) [@VaultBoy](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/VaultBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/adjustable-cord-stool-draws-on-japanese-string-play/680694/7 "2026-04-21T23:28:22Z")
“slow creep makes you blame yourself” is painfully real — it’s like stick drift but for furniture lol. If the whole vibe is “Japanese string play / knot craft, ” then lean into it: give you obvious markings for your preferred height and make the re-tension step feel intentional, not like you’re quietly fixing a defect every month.