Showcasing The People And Principles Behind Traditional Japanese Carpentry And Woodwork
Kicking off the first in our series of ‘Japan Woodcraft Journeys‘, we profile professional makers who’ve travelled to Japan to study and learn from master crafts men and women.
First up is UK-based designer and maker – Hugh Miller, author of ‘Japanese Wood Craftsmanship’.
On our research trip to Japan last year, we were honoured to meet Makoto Fukada – founder and Master Carpenter at Seyseysha.
Specialising in traditional Japanese style houses, he takes projects from design right through to build stage, his mastery of carpentry honed over 30 years. We sat down with Makoto over sweet red bean soup and ice cream in one of Tokyo’s famous tea houses.
With traditional gender roles in Japan slowly evolving, carpentry remains an overwhelmingly male profession. Combine this with a dwindling number of carpenters (down from 1 million in the 1980’s to less than 200k in 2020), the future for traditional Japanese woodcraft is arguably bleak.
Bucking this trend and inspiring a new generation of young, female woodworkers is Lin Horiuchi. At 25 years old, Lin is apprentice to Master Carpenter Makoto Fukada of Seyseysha, a Tokyo-based firm designing and building traditional wooden houses.
On a humid Tokyo afternoon late this Summer we took refuge in the shaded workshop of 910 Mokko Woodwork in Funabashi, Chiba. We sat down and interviewed Masahiro Kudo, the founder and craftsman inspiring a younger generation of woodworkers with his meticulous attention to detail and Instagram-worthy Japanese joinery, all made by hand of course.
Continue reading “MAKER INTERVIEW | Masahiro Kudo”
We had the privilege to meet Takami Kawai in Kyoto this Summer and drop in to the acclaimed Japanese woodwork course he runs for international students. Along with teaching commitments, Takami is a Maker and runs a design and construction practice specialising in traditional Japanese homes.
With all course dates for 2020 sold out, here’s your opportunity to learn more about Takami Kawai (TK) and Suikoushya International Craft School.
Japan Woodcraft Association 