Exhibition Catalogues

The Colors and Metalwork of Nikko

Contents
Foreword
Exhibition Prologue
[Introduction]
UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of “Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan” and “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” World Heritage Site | Teruhisa Funato
[Illustrations]
Urushi Lacquer Painting and Coloring in Nikko
“Techniques handed down alongside recoloring” | Interview with Shigeyuki Tezuka
“Urushi lacquer: a versatile natural material” | Interview with Koichi Hirota
Joboji Urushi Lacquer Tapping
“Clean work collects quality urushi.” | Interview with Takeo Kudo
Traditional Gold Leaf Manufacturing
“Our generation is sowing the seeds that our sons’ generation will reap the harvest of ” | Interview with Kenichi Matsumura
Decorative Metalworks in Nikko
“Techniques still seen in Nikko’s decorative metalworks” | Interview with Masao Suzuki
Kumimono model of Toshogu Shrine, Yomeimon Gate
[Essays]
The long journey of preserving the architecture of Nikko | Kazutoshi Asao
Architectural design & decorative technology of Nikko Toshogu Shrine | Shigeru Kubodera
[Appendix]
(Appendix A) List of “Techniques of traditional architectural craftspersons”
(Appendix B) Decision of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee on “Techniques of traditional architectural craftspersons”
(Appendix C) List of Structures at the “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” World Heritage Site
Exhibition List of Works
Bibliography & Outline of Exhibition

<※For overseas customers>

The Colors and Metalwork of NikkoRevealing the mystery behind the architectural beauty of its shrines and temples

Contents
Foreword
Exhibition Prologue
[Introduction]
UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of “Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan” and “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” World Heritage Site | Teruhisa Funato
[Illustrations]
Urushi Lacquer Painting and Coloring in Nikko
“Techniques handed down alongside recoloring” | Interview with Shigeyuki Tezuka
“Urushi lacquer: a versatile natural material” | Interview with Koichi Hirota
Joboji Urushi Lacquer Tapping
“Clean work collects quality urushi.” | Interview with Takeo Kudo
Traditional Gold Leaf Manufacturing
“Our generation is sowing the seeds that our sons’ generation will reap the harvest of ” | Interview with Kenichi Matsumura
Decorative Metalworks in Nikko
“Techniques still seen in Nikko’s decorative metalworks” | Interview with Masao Suzuki
Kumimono model of Toshogu Shrine, Yomeimon Gate
[Essays]
The long journey of preserving the architecture of Nikko | Kazutoshi Asao
Architectural design & decorative technology of Nikko Toshogu Shrine | Shigeru Kubodera
[Appendix]
(Appendix A) List of “Techniques of traditional architectural craftspersons”
(Appendix B) Decision of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee on “Techniques of traditional architectural craftspersons”
(Appendix C) List of Structures at the “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” World Heritage Site
Exhibition List of Works
Bibliography & Outline of Exhibition

<※For overseas customers>

Crafting the Kanna-DaiThe Formation and Evolution of Plane Body Artisans in Tokyo

Contents
Foreword
Message
Hand Planes and Plane Bodies
Modern Plane-Setting ‘Dai-Ire’ Artisans|Noboru Tsuchida
Material of the Kanna-Dai, a Plane Body
Crafting the Kanna-Dai, a Plane Body
Soichiro Ito’s Workspace
The Kanna-Dai, a Plane Body|Noboru Tsuchida
‘Unconventional’ Plane Body Artisans
Masterpieces Crafted by Plane Body Artisans
Works from an Era of Self-Sufficiency in the Absence of Plane Body Artisans:Tools of a Sashimono Artisan
Miscellaneous Thoughts on Planes|Kenji Suda
Appendix
Outline of Exhibition│Video Works│Bibliography

INAMI Wood Carvings: Sculpting Narratives

Contents
Foreword
The World of Inami Wood carvings│ HYUGA Susumu
Wood carvings for Temples and Shrines
Column 1: Wood carvings at Zuisenji Temple│KAKO Tadayoshi
Wood carvings for Festivals
Column 2: Stories carved on Hikiyama Festival Floats
－Carvings on Kenkeshi Screens on Hikiyama Festival Float in Yatsuomachi Suwamachi│YASUDA Tetsuya
Wood carvings in Traditional Style Rooms
Column 3: Kikusuiro and KAWAHARA Keishu│HANAUCHI Tomoki
Interview: Close up to the Wood carving Technique ̶Crafting carved Ranma Transoms│YASUDA Tetsuya
The Supporters behind Inami’s Wood carving│HASEGAWA Soichiro
Outline of Exhibition│Video Works│Bibliography

SOLD OUT

Isamu Noguchi TOOLS

Contents
Foreword
Isamu Noguchi’s Tools
Woodworking Tools
Stoneworking Tools
Pottery Tools
Miscellaneous Tools
Light sculpture <Akari>
Study Collection
“A bulldozer, or a stonemason”: Isamu Noguchi’s Conception of a Sculptor’s Tools｜Dakin Hart
Isamu Noguchi’s Japanese Woodworking Tools｜Tadanori Sakamoto
To be continued ―the story of Noguchi’s tools―｜Miwako Kurashima
Bibliography｜Photo Credits｜Outline of Exhibition

SOLD OUT

ISHII HARU: Azulejo and Space

Contents
Works
Light of Portugal recreated by Ishii Haru
The Azulejo in Portugal
The Azulejos Connecting Art in Architecture with Ishii Haru
Outline of Exhibition｜Video Works｜Bibliography

Kiridashi-Kogatana— Unique Artifacts of Carpentry Tools Blacksmiths

Contents
Forword
What is Kiridashi-Kogatana？
The Kiridashi-Kogatana of the Carpentry Tools Blacksmith, Korehide Chiyozuru
[Feature] The Kiridashi-Kogatana: Utility and Aestheticism
Interview with Takeshi Inoue on the Swordsmith, Yoshiaki Fujiwara
The Kiridashi-Kogatana of Future Generations
Interview with Blacksmith Specializing in Small Knives: Making Kiridashi-Kogatana
Outline of Exhibition｜Video Works｜Bibliography

SOLD OUT

Endeavors in Master Craftsmanship in the Tenpyō Era: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Technology

Contents
Introduction
Conversations on Endeavors in Master Craftsmanship in the Tenpyō Era： Ancient Wisdom and Modern Technology
Tenpyō culture and architecture
Is it true that Hinoki cypress lasts a thousand years？
［Column］The Science behind Ancient Hinoki Cypress
Why doesn’t it collapse even though it is made from wood？
［Column］Unravelling Antiquity — Structural Reinforcement of Tōshōdaiji Kondō
Was it originally brightly colored？
［Column］Colored Patterns on the Front Doors of Tōshōdaiji Kondō
Pursuits in Tenpyō era roof tiles
Records of the dismantling and restoration of Tōshōdaiji Kondō
Outline of Exhibition｜Video Works｜Bibliography

SOLD OUT

CLT—PIONEERING INNOVATION IN MASSIVE WOOD CONSTRUCTION

Contents
Foreword/ Akira Nishimura
Cross-laminated Timber: Between Simplicity and Complexity/ Andrea Frangi
Recent Developments in the Emerging Technology of CLT in Japan/ Mikio Koshihara
Genealogy of Cross-laminated Timber (CLT)/ Patrick H. Fleming
Interview with Rudolf and Esther Guyer/ Patrick H. Fleming
Interview with Pius Schuler/ Patrick H. Fleming
Interview with Karl Moser/ Patrick H. Fleming
Outline of Exhibition, Video Works, Exhibition Cooperation, References

※The catalog “Cross-Laminated Timber: Pioneering Innovation In Massive Wood Construction” can be downloaded for free from the ETH Library (Full Text PDF, 25.77Mb)
≫https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000501861

Philippe Weisbecker Inside Japan: Carpentry Tools, Architectures, Daily Items

Contents
Introduction
Message： Philippe Weisbecker
Carpentry Tools
Woods
Tatami
Architectures
Trucks
Fences
Daily Items
Furniture
Collections
Philippe Weisbecker’s Profile
Exhibition Outline

SOLD OUT

Tetsunosuke MiyanoA Sawsmith Who Forged Tama-hagane Steel

Contents
Foreword
Tomonari Shihōsai Endō’s Saws｜Noboru Tsuchida
Heijirō Miyano
Tetsunosuke Miyano I
Tetsunosuke Miyano II
Works Other than Saws
The Miyano’s Calligraphy Works ＆ Paintings
Tetsunosuke Miyano： Related Sawsmiths
Tetsunosuke Miyano’s Blacksmithing Tools
Production Process of Tama-hagane Saws

SOLD OUT

AINO and ALVAR AALTO Shared VisionsInnovations in Wood Bending Technology & Design of Furniture

Contents
Opening Remarks
AINO ＆ ALVAR AALTO SHARED VISIONS
The furniture Aspirations of the Two Aaltos
The Enduring Legacy of Alvar Aalto
Innovations on Bending Wood
Aalto wood reliefs： form, technique, and furniture
Artek Story
Paimio Sanatorium
Aalto House
AALTO CHRONOLOGY

SOLD OUT

Daiku: A Japanese CarpenterModern Craftsmanship Culture and Traditions

Contents
What is Daiku?
An Edo period ‘Osaka-Daiku’
Kushaku-Niken Ura-Nagaya (10m2 Rear Row House)
The World of Daiku as Seen Through ‘Rakugo’
The Daiku Uniform
‘Dejoku’ Life ̶Working Onsite
Apprenticeship
Daiku Textbooks
A Master Carpenter’s Work as Observed in Ancient Manuscripts
Theatrical Moments Onsite
Daiku in Woodblock Prints
The Daiku’s Signature Tool

SOLD OUT

KIGUMI: Revealing the Carpentry Behind the Wood Joint

Contents
[Introduction] Kigumi: The Skills and Knowledge in Jointing Wood

What are tsugite and shikuchi ?
Building a Hand-Crafted Kigumi House｜Interview with Akinori Abo
Stacking Kigumi
Creating Kigumi for Temples & Shrines｜Interview with Seiki Maeda
European Style
A Stereotomical Dormer -The French Compagnon Guitarde｜Patrick Moore Professor, School of 60 Practical Stereotomy
Joinery
The Joinery Craft of Creating Pure and refined elegance Beauty｜Interview with Kenji Suda
Kumiko
The Inheritance of Craft -Jointing Artisanship ｜Interview with Eiichi Yokota
How to make a longer bridge
Using Wood to Build an Arch｜Interview with Kumetsugu Ebizaki
Strange Joints
Bibliography
Outline of Exhibition

Watermill carpentryDesigning hydraulic energy

Contents
Foreword
History of Watermills
Water-Lifting Waterwheels
Treading Waterwheels
Watermills
Wood Used in Waterwheels
Carpentry Tools used for Watermills
Topics: Designing the Wheel of a Watermill
Constructing the Wheel of a Watermill
Cogwheel
Pounding Mill
Gristmill
Topics: Designing the Machinery
Example from Shikoku Island: Takahara Watermill
A Challenge of Size
The Possibilities of Waterwheels

SOLD OUT

SOMAJapanese forests and the possibilities of untreated wood

Contents
FOREST TO FOREST
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO READ A WOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH TREES
RETURN TO NATURE
DIALOGUE： REACQUAINTANCE WITH THE FOREST
INTRODUCTION

Confectionery UtensilsThe History of Sweets Enjoyed Through Molds

Contents
Opening Address
Foreword
Message
Column：Utensils for Confectionary
Chronologic Table of Western Confectionary
Molds of Waffle
Molds for Speculoos
Molds for Chocolates
Molds for Kouglof
Pièce montée
Commentary：The Greatest Culinarian-cum-Patissier in the History
Interview：Origin of Confectionary Making
Molds for Candies
Candy Casket

SOLD OUT

Tropical wooden constructionArchitecture and life styles of Insular Southeast Asia

Contents
Forword
Manifestation of Architecture in Southeast Asia
The House Building at Sumba Island in Indonesia
Construction Method for Wooden Palace and Mosque Building in Java Island
PORTRAIT OF A JAVANESE CARPENTER in Java Island
Southeast Asian Carpentry
Coexist with Nature

Tradition and Innovation in the Modern Finnish Wood CultureNIKARI STORIES from Fiskars Finland

Contents
Forword
Contents
Introduction
Finnish Design and Fiskars Village
Overview of the exhibition
Introduction of participants
> Kari Virtanen
> Tomoshi Nagano
> Rudi Merz
> Nikari designer co-operation
> Heikki Aska
> Antrei Hartikainen
> Petri Koivusipila
> Minja Kolehmainen
> Laura Mattila and Mikko Merz
> Tuulia Penttila
> Matti Soderkultalahti

SOLD OUT

IRAKAA Millennium of Tile Roofing

Contents
Forword
A Millennium of Tile Roofing
Historic japanese buildings and tiled roofs | Kakichi Suzuki
[Column] Master tiler: Yoshishige Tachibana, Hōryū-ji Temple’s master tiler | Mahito Uehara
Making Ancient Tiles
[Column] Japan’s onigawara (ridge-end titles) – Their origins and development | Akiko Iwato
Laying Ancient Tiles
[Column] Tiles of the world and Japan | Kiyoshi Owaki
[Interview] Making tiles makes the person, making the person makes the nation | Kiyokazu Yamamoto
Outline of Exhibition |Video Works |Bibliography

SOLD OUT

The Shape of PrayerThe Unknown World of the Builder’s Rites

Contents
Commentary: Building and Ritual
— Wishes Entrusted to Construction and Their Expression
The Ise Grand Shrine Shikinen Sengu Rites
Types of Rites and Their Changes
Builder’s Rites in Art
Commentary: The Sacred Ancestors of Builders
The Gods of Architecture — The Faith of Builders
The Shape of Dedicatory Sake
The Inheritance of Origins — The World of Ceremonial Scrolls
Commentary: Building Ceremonies and Carpenter Scrolls of Oku-Aizu, Fukushima
Prayers to the Earth
Commentary: The Way of Osumi-Style Ceremonies
Prayers to the Gods of Craftsmanship
Prayers for Eternity
Commentary: The Shape of a Heigushi Staff
Kuma-san Visits a Topping Out Ceremony

SOLD OUT

ShissaisankaLacquer art exhibition of Aiko Ishimoto

Contents

1. Description of works at Exhibition
2. Brilliant Urushi Ware, By Hiroshi Kato
3. Processes Involved in Creating Fushishissai-chinkin Lacquerware
4. Outline of the Exhibition

the SAKANHarmonization of Mud as the Spatial Structure

Contents

1. What is the Sakan?
2. Description of works at 2016 Exhibition in Kobe – Harmonization of Mud as the Spatial Structure
3. Description of works at 2015 Exhibition in Tokyo – Moulded objects of Earth
4. Sort History of Sakan
5. History of the Trowel and the Clay Wall
6. Trowels Used by Akira Kusumi
7. Shinkichi Enomoto – the Spirit of Tokyo Sakan

SOLD OUT

Modern Japanese ArchitectureChallenges in Construction Technology

Contents

The History of Modern Architecture from the Construction Technology Perspective, By Terunobu Fujimori

Westernization: The Age of Toryo and the Employed Foreigner

Struggle to the Western Historicism

Steel and Concrete: Reform in Construction Technology Changes Architectural Design

Collaboration with Architecture and Furniture workerWork of Furniture

Contents

Kobun Nakamura

Kouji Yokoyama

Tadahiko Okuda

Tomoyuki Kanazawa

SOLD OUT

CHIYOZURU KOREHIDE
Beauty of Practical Use

Living with TreesMasterful Works of Kijiya Eiichi Ogura

Permanent Exhibitions Catalog

30th Anniversary
Master Carpenters in Japan, China, and Korea

Contents

Architectural Technique and Design in Japan: Comparing China and Korea, By Fujii Keisuke

Construction Techniques of the Royal Palace: Inherited by the Palace Museum, By Li Yongge
The Highest-class Wood in Japan, China, and Korea
Reviving the Beauty of the Korean Royal Palace, By Shin Eoung Soo
Architectural Ceremony in Japan, China and Korea
Inheriting the Spirit of Ancient Carpentry, By Ogawa Mitsuo

[Thesis]
Formal traditional Architectural Craftsmanship, By Li Yongge
Timber-frame Technique of the Forbidden City in Beijing, By Li Yongge
Type and Characteristics of Chinese Traditional Carpentry Tools, By Li Zhen
Master Carpenter (Daemokjang) and Palace Architecture of Korea, By Shin Eoung Soo
Tree of a Thousand Years is needed to Build a Palace of a Thousand Years, By Shin Eoung Soo
History of the Master Carpenter:(Daemokjang) in the Joseon Dynasty, By Kim DongUk
Korean Traditional Construction Tools, By Lee Wang Kee
Carpenters and Tools in the Edo Period, By Nishi Kazuo
Outline of the Exhibition
Video Woks
Bibliography

Master of the PlaneBlacksmith Kengo Usui

SOLD OUT

Sukiya CarpenterThe creator of beauty

Sukiya-style architecture is popular for its traditional Japanese design aesthetics. This catalog details the deconstruction of the various components of Sukiya architecture, with a strong focus on the design elements and the masterful skills and sensibilities of the artisan. 

Roofing with ThatchBark and Wooden Shingles

This catalog illustrates “thatched roofs” made from dry vegetation, “cypress bark roofs” made from layered bark of the Cypress tree, and “wood shingles roofs” made by overlaying thin wooden boards. It includes easy-to-understand descriptions of the building materials and tools. It also details the process of preparing the roofing elements and placing them to create the roof.

Contents
Japanese Roofs
Thatched Roofs
Cypress Bark Roofs
Wood Shingles Roofs
Roofs Around the World

SOLD OUT

[Tokyo]Roofing with ThatchBark and Wooden Shingles

**Tokyo Exhibition Version**

This catalog illustrates “thatched roofs” made from dry vegetation, “cypress bark roofs” made from layered bark of the Cypress tree, and “wood shingles roofs” made by overlaying thin wooden boards. It includes easy-to-understand descriptions of the building materials and tools. It also details the process of preparing the roofing elements and placing them to create the roof.

Contents
Japanese Roofs
Thatched Roofs
Cypress Bark Roofs
Wood Shingles Roofs
Roofs Around the World

SOLD OUT

Timber-Framed Buildings in Belgium

SOLD OUT

25th AnniversaryToryoThe World of Temple and Shrine Carpenters

Master temple and shrine carpenters create structures that withstand wind and snow for hundreds of years, leading and managing the other carpenters with their highly cultivated skills and spirit. This catalog presents the history and work of Toryo carpenters alongside exclusive items like dynamic models and drawings. Their tools are also covered.

SOLD OUT

25th Anniversary (Tokyo)ToryoThe World of Temple and Shrine Carpenters

Master temple and shrine carpenters create structures that withstand wind and snow for hundreds of years, leading and managing the other carpenters with their highly cultivated skills and spirit. This catalog presents the history and work of Toryo carpenters alongside exclusive items like dynamic models and drawings. Their tools are also covered.

SOLD OUT