This is a set of resources for people interested in starting Japanese carpentry or woodworking.
Classes
These are just classes and teachers that I have known and experienced, directly or indirectly.
- Mokuchi Woodworking: Located in Ashland, Oregon. Yann Giguere, sukiya carpenter trained by Dale Brotherton under 9 years as an apprentice. He is the most experienced full teacher with professional training and work experience in the United States. Yann is my first, and long term Japanese Carpentry teacher and mentor. He has classes for beginners and intermediate levels, as well as private lessons for those who want to go beyond that level.
- Mount Fuji Wood Culture Society: Yamanashi, Japan. One of the only non carpentry based programs. Tak Yoshino and his apprentices turn their furniture and sashimono shop into a campus (with housing) for Japanese Woodworking for half the year. They also have artist-in-residency programs. Programs vary from 1 to 7 days to month-long intensives.
- Somakosha: Okayama, Japan. Kohei Yamamoto and Jon Stollenmeyer are the head carpenters of Somakosha. Somakosha is a relatively young carpentry firm, defined by its both open thinking and traditional methods. Jon Stollenmeyer apprenticed in Kyoto with Nakamura Sotoji Komuten, and worked on Ise Shrine, etc. Kohei Yamamoto has worked on Izumo Grand Shrine. I met Yama-san on the bell tower build in Idaho in 2023. Beginner, intermediate and advanced classes, along with things like plaster, kumiko and doors classes.
- Dale Brotherton: Port Townsend School of Woodworking, in Washington, hosts Dale Brotherton once or twice a year. It sells out instantly, but there is a wait list.
- Never Stop Building: Located in Mercer, Maine. Jason Fox, apprenticed at Somakosha in Japan. Jason has a large property and access to large lumber, so he has access to larger-sized frame projects for people who want to take it beyond the usual beginner classes. His long term goal is to build a center for Japanese craft culture on the east coast.
- Year of Mud: Kentucky. Ziggy has been running workshops featuring the Somakosha carpenters for a few years now. I've never been but I hear wonderful things about the program. One day, I'd like to go.
- Alfred Rambaud: Alfred was my senpai at Mount Fuji and is based in . He's a professional furniture maker who also trained a month in Kyoto with Takami-san sometime in the past. He teaches more furniture but uses joinery methods inherited Japanese carpentry as well as furniture making, and does it with Japanese tools
- Never Stop Building / Chozen ji / Paklan: In Honolulu. Jason will be teaching tools, sharpening and basic framing, while Chozen-ji provides zen instruction in the morning.
On Apprenticeships
Dale told me once, more or less that carpenters often feel a great debt to their masters. He added, the way to repay them is by training apprentices who will carry the tradition forward. I think he ends up being asked about apprenticeships often, so he wrote this piece advising people how to best do so.
He covers it all, but I will add, please don't take it lightly. An American carpenter was accepted recently by a Japanese carpenter, only to have the American back out of the offer. Since then, the Japanese firm has sworn off any American apprentices, going forward.
Next to apprenticeships, in person classes are a good way to learn for non professionals.
Organizations and Events:
- Kezuroukai-USA: Runs an annual Carpentry event. Location changes every year, but traditionally based on the west coast. They are a non profit run by volunteer carpenters and worth donating to,
- Maine Japanese Woodworking Festival: Run in Mercer Maine, by Jason Fox. The event usually coinciding with a timber framing workshop.
Books
I don't believe too much in books when it comes to learning the fundamentals of Japanese carpentry or woodworking.
- Sharpening (Dale's book)
- Toshio Odate's books on Japanese tools and Shoji.
- Japanese book on Chouna, Masariki, and Yari Ganna (adze, axe, spear plane) featuring Somakosha.
- More soon
Videos:
- From what I have seen, I do not believe in learning fundamentals of Japanese carpentry or woodworking from videos, yet.
Tool Dealers I use
My preference is to work with dealers who have been professional builders or practitioners themselves:
- Buy from your instructor: Most instructors will have some tools to sell or some advice on what to get and from who. Start there.
Other Tool Dealers: