Woodworking Craftsman

The work of a kijishi, woodworking craftsman, is to create the shape of the finished product.
Japan is a country with a history of wood culture, and many of the cultural assets that remain in the form of buildings, furniture, and furnishings, are made of wood. Buildings are the work of carpenters, but making furniture and furnishings are the work of woodworking craftsmen. You can't see the woodworking craftsmen's work in the finished products since it is hidden beneath layers of urushi lacquer, makie lacquer, and mother-of-pearl inlay work that are applied to the wood.

The uniquely soft, curved shapes often seen on stacked boxes and sutra boxes, the various shapes seen in tableware, sake cups and tea utensils, and the delicate designs and shapes of table legs and table tops are the work of the woodworking craftsmen. The woodworking craftsman makes a foundation that matches the stylistic beauty expressed by the decorations on the surface, and at the same time, makes each form with consideration toward the strength needed to withstand actual use.

When you become aware of the woodworking craftsman's work that cannot be seen from the surface, you will find an interesting and joyful way of seeing Japanese crafts in the future.

The work of a kijishi, woodworking craftsman, is to create forms that cannot be finished on the spot. Wood stretches and shrinks depending on the environment, such as humidity or temperature. Most of the furnishings you see in a museum or gallery were originally used before, so in the past they were not used in a controlled environment. If the wood warps due to environmental change, this could cause the urushi lacquer to crack, and the mother-of-pearl inlay and makie lacquer to chip off. Nevertheless, we can still see the beautiful decorations such as makie lacquer, mother-of-pearl inlay, and gold-inlaid lacquer that have stood the test of time, thanks to the work of the woodworking craftsman.

In order to maintain its beautiful form, the wood joiner must assess the wood condition, predict the wood quality, peculiarity, direction of the fibers, and the transformation of bends and warps. They devise various measures with the way of joining or shaving timber, leaving it thick, and maintaining its strength, all without anyone noticing. A woodworking craftsman not only creates the shapes with technique but also passes them down from generation to generation.

For forms to be handed down to the next generation, one has to know the material wood inside out.

The hardness and grain of different tree species varies, as does the climate of the production area, the manufacturing process, the condition of preservation, and the drying process. Furthermore, even if the wood is the same species in the same region, the annual rings will be more widely spaced in sunny places, or conversely narrower in shrouded areas. Each piece of wood is different and has its own peculiarities.

Trees are cut down, sawn, and dried slowly over months or years before it is used, and yet wood stays alive. The environment and way of use is different depending on the product. A wooden bowl alternates between wet and dry, but a sutra box or an inkstone case doesn't get wet and is subjected to the regional climate throughout the time it is in use. A woodworking craftsman faces the wood, creates its ideal forms, and if used properly, manufactures long-lasting products. That is because each work hidden in the invisible woodwork may be the pride, hope and prayer of a woodworking craftsman.