Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2013

With no end to the cheap plastic junk that is put on store shelves ahead of the holidays, you may find yourself looking for festive decorations with a more authentic touch. Interior goods maker T-Lab has you covered with hand-carved wooden ornaments. The Hyogo prefecture-based company has set up a special atelier in Indonesia to produce the products that combine the Japanese love for cute characters with traditional Indonesian carving techniques. The adorable polar bears in winter coats (¥998-¥1,155) a carved from light, fast-growing paulownia trees planted as part of a program to prevent soil erosion and deforestation. And in a further effort to protect the environment in the country of production, a portion of the proceeds go World Wide Fund for Nature. Available at Wise Wise Tools at Tokyo Midtown (http://wisewisetools.com; 03-5647-8355)