Woodworking tools have a tough fate: the better the quality, the more they get used, until they eventually wear out and have to be retired.
At the same time, the development of new technologies and the spread of mechanical sawmills and power tools following Japan’s rapid economic growth in the post-war period, has meant that the number of carpentry craftsmen using hand tools has seen a significant decline.
However, Japan’s wonderful wooden architecture is itself the direct result of a huge range of these tools. The woodworkers responsible for buildings such as Hōryū-ji in Nara, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world, had such familiarity with their tools that they functioned as an extension of their bodies and a way of reflecting their kokoro – what one might think of in English as spirit, or even soul. Hōryū-ji and other spectacular buildings remain in clear view, while the carpenters and their tools have quietly receded into the background, some tools worn down through use and others by repeated honing.
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Sharp blades are said to be one characteristic of Japanese carpentry tools; another is the sheer number and variety. Understanding the diversity of these implements and the special application of each tool is one key to unlocking an appreciation and understanding of the achievements of Japanese woodworking.
How many tools does a carpenter need?
In 1943, a survey was conducted into the types of tools owned by carpenters in Ōta Ward, Tokyo. The results revealed that 179 different types were needed to construct a full-scale, high-quality building. For a building of cheaper construction, the necessary number of tools was less than half of this, but still amounted to 72 implements.
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Historically, 1943, the year of the survey, marked a heyday of these tools, with immense variety and high quality. After the war, power tools became more widespread and building methods changed, resulting in a rapid decline in the number and types of carpentry tools required. By 1985 another survey, again in Ōta Ward, indicated that carpenters were by then using only 20 types of tools frequently, with occasional recourse to 59 types.
Japanese woodworking tools can be clearly separated into distinct groups, where distinct groups of implements which perform similar functions. Within these groups it is normal to find an array of very specialized variants of the tools, each of which is ideally suited to specific circumstances or for achieving specific results.
Beginning the journey
Ono (axes) are crucial to the start of the journey, from tree to finished product. Before the advent of machine tools every step of the carpentry process was carried out by hand, beginning with the felling of a tree using a kiri-ono (cutting axe). Work would then continue using wari-ono (splitting axes). Later a different category of axe comes into play with masakiri, mainly used to smooth and finish timber.
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Marking tools
The sumi-kake group is crucial in translating plans into reality through the marking up of timber before any work starts, and then often as work progresses, to ensure the application of other tools such as saws and chisels achieves the desired results. When comparing the full range of 179 tools identified in the 1943 survey with the smaller set required for cheaper construction, the number of chisels and planes used in the smaller set was significantly fewer, but the range of sumi-kake marking implements used was about the same. This makes clear the key foundational role of sumi-kake tools, even for a less sophisticated project. A further key set of marking tools are kebiki (gauges), which are used to mark lines on flat wooden surfaces for precision work.
An earlier Japan House London exhibition The Carpenters’ Line focused on woodworking in Hida Takayama and in particular the resonance of marking tools in woodworking culture.
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Precision sawing
Nokogiri (saws) reflect the ancient roots of Japanese carpentry and a tradition that was able to produce monumental and lasting structures long before the arrival of machine tools. The great development of carpentry techniques during the Edo Period (1603-1868) in particular saw the arrival of specialist saws of many types. In contrast to saws in many parts of the world, Japanese nokogiri cut on the pull rather than the push stroke, which means that blades can be thinner and allows for a very great degree of precision and control.
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Planing timber
Japan’s kanna (planes) are also pulled rather than pushed, making them distinct from those elsewhere in the world. These tools are used to smooth the surface of boards and square-edged timber. Originally, all planes had a single blade, but in the late Meiji period (1868–1912), the awase-kanna (laminated double blade), was introduced. This new plane reduced surface irregularities caused by shaving against the wood grain and quickly became the norm.
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Hammers and chisels
The gennō, a type of Japanese hammer, is mainly used for striking chisels or driving nails. There are several types differing in the shape of the iron head: the ryōguchi-gennō has two flat striking faces, called koguchi, of equal surface area, whereas the funate-gennō and the kataguchi-gennō have one end pointed and the other flat.
Nomi (chisels) are broadly categorized into striking chisels and paring chisels depending on their purpose. Striking chisels are used with a hammer or mallet to create mortise holes for joints or to remove excess material. To withstand striking, they have an iron ring called a katsura on the head of the handle. Paring chisels are used to finish areas carved with a striking chisel or to smooth small areas that cannot be planed. Chisels come in various blade widths suited for different tasks.
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Visit The Craft of Carpentry to better understand the tools, and read our detailed introduction to Japanese woodworking tools in our exhibition and their uses.
Nishiyama Marcelo is a curator specializing in architectural history and design at the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum. He has curated an array of exhibitions based on research in the field of building technology. His work covers a wide range of subjects, including carpentry and tools, blade making and the art of sakan (Japanese plasterwork), as well as modern building techniques such as cross-laminated timber (CLT). He has recently curated exhibitions at the Manggha Museum (Poland) and the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris (France).