Many regional craft, furniture, and home lifestyle brands across Asia are facing similar challenges.
Their products may carry strong design value, cultural identity, and unique craft stories, yet they do not always have enough opportunities to be seen by international buyers and new markets. For buyers and concept-store channels, whether a brand can be remembered is often not only about how the product looks, but also about the cultural context, craft value, and market communication behind the brand.
Therefore, for the 10th edition of POP UP ASIA 2026, POPUPASIA® is specially collaborating with Japan’s TRUNK DESIGN to co-create a craft exhibition at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, featuring handmade craft brands from Japan and Taiwan.
TRUNK DESIGN has long been dedicated to transforming traditional crafts through design, curation, and market connection, helping local craftsmanship be seen in a way that is closer to contemporary lifestyles.
This year, POPUPASIA® 2026 will introduce a brand-new:
✶ Regional Crafts × Furniture and Home Decor Zone ✶
This section will serve as an exchange platform for craft brands from Japan and Taiwan. Through product displays and curated presentations, it hopes to create opportunities for regional craft organizations,
local industries, design brands, and international buyers to meet on-site
and further explore future possibilities for collaboration.
About POPUPASIA®
POPUPASIA® is one of Asia’s leading creative business platforms. Through curated exhibitions, B2B business matchmaking, and cross-border collaboration, POPUPASIA® connects brands, creators, and international buyers.
For this craft festival co-created with Japan’s TRUNK DESIGN, POPUPASIA® will invite Taiwanese craft brands to participate, giving Taiwan’s local craftsmanship the opportunity to be showcased alongside Japanese craft brands and seen by more international buyers and audiences.
Through exhibitions, curation, and B2B matchmaking, POPUPASIA® hopes to support creative brands in gradually transforming their ideas, products, and design value into visible business opportunities, while also creating more possibilities for cross-border exchange and collaboration for Taiwanese craft brands.
About TRUNK DESIGN
(Photos credit to TRUNK DESIGN)
Based in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, TRUNK DESIGN has long focused on lifestyle products, spatial design, brand planning, and lifestyle curation.
Their projects focus on helping design products become part of real consumer experiences
— not only objects displayed inside exhibitions.
Their work focuses on:
• Turning design products into consumer-friendly retail experiences
• Connecting Asian craft and design brands to the Japanese market
• Creating curated environments that are both aesthetic and commercially viable
Rather than focusing on a single product or brand,
TRUNK DESIGN is known for building complete lifestyle environments that connect crafts,
spaces, people, and local culture together.
This is also why the collaboration with POPUPASIA® 2026
is centered around regional craft ecosystems instead of individual brands alone.
Click here to get to know more about TRUNK DESIGN
Learn more about TRUNK DESIGN craftsmanship and global collaboration:
Read the full interview on POPUPASIA®(1)
Read the full interview on POPUPASIA®(2)
Read the full interview on POPUPASIA®(3)
Why Regional Craft Organizations Matter Today
In recent years, many buyers and international markets have started paying closer attention to regional craft communities and local manufacturing cultures across Asia.
Behind many successful craft products are not only individual creators —
but entire local ecosystems that preserve materials, techniques,
and cultural knowledge over generations.
For example:
• Daxi is widely known for its woodworking craftsmanship and wood furniture culture
• Nantou has long been associated with bamboo craft and natural material industries
• Chiayi continues to develop local craft, wood culture, and lifestyle design initiatives through regional creative projects
These regions already hold strong craftsmanship and production knowledge.
What they often need is not simply “more exposure,”
but stronger connections to buyers, curators, retail channels,
and international collaboration opportunities.
This is where exhibitions like POPUPASIA® become important.
The goal is no longer just to display products beautifully.
It is to help local crafts and regional creative industries enter real business conversations and sustainable market opportunities.
꩜.˚ POPUPASIA® 2026 × TRUNK DESIGN
Local Craft × Furniture & Home Living Zone ✶.ᐟ
At POPUPASIA® 2026, the collaboration with TRUNK DESIGN introduces a new zone focused on:
Design Curation × Spatial Aesthetics × Market Connection
This zone brings together:
• Furniture and home living brands
• Local craft creators (wood, ceramics, textiles, bamboo, etc.)
• Regional craft organizations and creative communities
• Lifestyle and design brands
• Spatial styling and real-life applications
Instead of traditional booth displays, the zone is designed as a complete lifestyle environment.
Visitors and buyers will not only see products individually
— they will experience how products interact within everyday living spaces.
From Exhibition to Real Market Opportunities
From Exhibition to the Japanese Market
For many brands, participating in an exhibition often only brings short-term exposure.
However, this collaboration between POPUPASIA® and TRUNK DESIGN hopes to create not just event-period traffic, but a more complete market test.
The craft brands participating in this exhibition will not only have the opportunity to directly meet more than 20,000 consumers who are interested in lifestyle, craftsmanship, and design during the November expo, but also test real market responses on-site. At the same time, they will have the chance to connect with TRUNK DESIGN’s wholesale network in Japan and its overseas distribution channels.
Participating brands and local craft organizations will have the opportunity to:
• Have their products selected and curated by TRUNK DESIGN
• Test consumer responses during the exhibition
• Connect with Japanese concept stores, wholesale networks, and distribution resources
• Participate in follow-up sales plans such as permanent retail placement and limited-time pop-up stores
• Join deeper B2B business discussions with buyers and channel partners
• Develop future opportunities for cross-border collaboration
More importantly, this collaboration does not only focus on the final sales performance of the products. It also hopes to help brands clearly communicate the production process, material features, and local stories behind each piece to channel buyers from both Taiwan and Japan.
Through this market test and follow-up collaboration, local craft communities and regional creative industries will have the opportunity to build longer-term and more stable relationships with the Japanese market.
⋆˚｡ Limited Spots — Apply Now ⋆˚｡
Applications for the Local Craft × Furniture & Home Living Zone
curated by TRUNK DESIGN are now open with limited availability !
We are looking for brands with:
• Brands with strong design identity
• Regional craft organizations and local creative initiatives
• Market-ready product lines
• Lifestyle-oriented concepts
• Projects with international collaboration potential
Selected brands will receive:
• Curated exhibition opportunities
• Exposure to buyers and retail channels
• Access to B2B collaboration resources
• Opportunities to explore Japan market entry
‼ Join the Next Stage of Your Brand ‼
This is more than an exhibition.
It is a chance for local crafts, regional creative industries, and design brands to connect with buyers, retail channels, and international collaboration opportunities across Asia.
— Register on POPPASS and apply now —
• Register on POPPASS
•Apply as an Exhibitor (POPUPASIA® 2026)
Start your journey toward global collaboration today.
Your Gateway to Japan Starts Here
Entering a new market is never only about selling products.
It is about building the right environment,
finding the right partners,
and creating experiences that buyers and consumers can genuinely connect with.
Through POPUPASIA® 2026 × TRUNK DESIGN,
local craft communities and design brands can explore new ways to bring their work closer to international audiences and real market opportunities.
Want More Brand Stories?
Join POPPASS—our B2B platform connecting you with authentic, creative brands from across Asia. Explore exhibitor profiles, start collaborations, and be part of the POPUPASIA® network.
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