The Complete Japanese Joinery

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On houses the modified kaigashira gegyo and inome gegyo are used quite often. The modification consists of the elimination of the fin.

The Complete Japanese Joinery by Hideo Sato | Goodreads

When hitting the chisel, strike the crown straight and follow the steps shown in Figures 5.19 to 5.21. Objects used in the ceremony: stands, a basket, plates, and the priest’s tools for the ritual and the sacred tree. Woodworking Procedures The pieces are shaped in the following sequences, (1) Select manufactured square lumber.When starting to saw (especially with a rip saw) the first cut is difficult to make at the exact location desired, because the saw tends to get caught in the lumber. To make the first inci¬ sion at the desired location, place the thumb next to it, bend the thumb, placing the saw against the thumb joint and its teeth at the desired location, as shown in Figure 5.5. Begin by making small sawing movements while the saw remains against the thumb. This procedure for making the initial cut is called hikikomi. Hikikata is the term which describes the main ac¬ tions of sawing. As described above, continue to saw with care and consistency, using the

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Of course, there are many more tools on a typical Japanese craft person's workbench, but these three tools are the most important, and most frequently used instruments in Japanese joinery. Working the Wood (4) Make a sloping kerf with a rip saw on both sides: along line G to intersect lines H and I, along line I to intersect lines G and H. Chip away with a chisel the diagonally marked sec¬ tion. H There are a couple schools of thought in the Japanese carpentry tradition. Though there is a core practice shared by all Japanese carpenters, defined by a vocabulary of tools and joints and a method of working, a carpenter will typically identify with one of four distinct carpentry professions. Miyadaikupractice the construction of Japanese shrines and temples, and are renowned for their use of elaborate wooden joints and the fact that the buildings they construct are frequently found among the world’s longest surviving wooden structures. Teahouse and residential carpenters, known as sukiya-daiku, are famed for their delicate aesthetic constructions using rustic materials. Furniture makers are known as sashimono-shi,and interior finishing carpenters, who build shōji and ranma, are termed tateguya. Though it is rare to find a sashimono-shi or tateguya practising outside of their field, it is not uncommon for a carpentry workshop to work simultaneously as both miyadaiku and sukiyadaiku. Joinery is a technique used in each and every one of these lineages or traditions. This is the same method as that in the illustration on the left except that a brace and a hakama koshi chord have been added. BOTTOM CHORDGegyo (Case 1). Gegyo is an ornamental piece which covers the end of the ridge beam on shrine and temple architecture (except in the shinmyo zukuri style). It is also used on common houses. Gegyo is quite commonly seen on farm houses in the Kinki district. Unlike the symmetrical and ceremonious type seen on shrine and temple architecture, the gegyo on common houses has ornamentation which appears as a fragmented single motif of an arbor, of foliage, or a whirlpool (eddy). Many of the designs appear to be fragmented. There are also many honba (teeth near the handle). Hikiowari describes the correct manner of sawing when nearing the end of the cut. If hikikata were continued until the end, the wood being cut would break, splitting the end of the piece, or else the force applied would become uncontrollable, carrying the saw into the * Chiseling should be completed right up to the drawn line (leaving a thin line on the wood). Those allows small adjustments for clean up and fit.

The complete Japanese joinery by Hideo Sato | Open Library

Determining the slope of the cut lines on the top face. Since the moya beam is set perpendicular to the top chord, this will not be the reverse slope of chogen. It will be the same as the nage

The History of Japanese Joinery 

Though there is greater utilization of steel and reinforced concrete in modern structures, wood construction remains among the most important, maintaining its long tradition in Japanese architecture. Regretfully however, with the passing of time, the splendid tradi¬ tion of Japanese wood construction has become stagnant and is losing its driving force. Though it is essential for architects and builders to understand traditional Japanese wood construction, texts on the subject are woefully limited. This could be due to the dif¬ ficulties of describing and illustrating the actual woodwork, but there are other limiting fac¬ tors as well. In many cases, a wood member serves a dual purpose as a structural member and as a finished decorative piece. Also, different methods are used in each school, such as the Kennin Temple sect, Shintennoji sect, and Kyoto sect. Moreover, different methods are stressed even within the same school by such master carpenters as Hiruuchi, Kira, Kiuchi, and Tsuru. Then, there are alterations in detailing methods brought about by changes in the style of periods such as the Asuka [ca 700 A.D. - 800 A.D.], Momoyama [ca. 1550 A.D.-1600 A.D.], and Edo [ca. 1600 A.D.-1860 A.D.] periods. There are further dif¬ ferences in technique in styles such as the Karaya [Chinese style], Tenjikuyo [Indian style], Wayo [Japanese style], Shoinzukuri [study room style], Sukiyazukuri [free style], and the Chashitsu [tea room style]. Lastly, there are regional differences on such things as uchinori [inside face], tatami [straw mat], and kiwari [proportion]. It is not an easy task to incorporate all these conditions. This book was written using my own practical experience combined with information from available resources, and from documents on various methods of wood construction compiled during the time I was teaching at the Occupational Training Center.