# Fascinating Japanese Joinery



## Karl_TN (May 27, 2021)



Reactions: Way Cool 6 | Informative 1


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## pvwoodcrafts (May 28, 2021)

man , you gotta be kidding me

Reactions: Agree 1


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## barry richardson (May 28, 2021)

I can see why they are preserving it, what a work of art!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Wildthings (May 29, 2021)

That is over the top!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Deputydawg (May 29, 2021)

I don't even know what to say about that! Amazing work!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 29, 2021)

Wonder how long it took to build that!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ScoutDog (Jun 29, 2021)




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## Steve in VA (Jun 30, 2021)

Makes me a little ashamed to use a nail gun, though if I'm building a house I'd want it done before I turn 100. Amazing work!!


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## Mike Hill (Jun 30, 2021)

I wasn't going to posit - but I capitulate. I truly admire the skill and talent - I truly do - BUT..... I am not embarrassed to use a nail gun!
1. The word "traditional" was used often. Tradition implies long-established, produced, done, or used in accordance with tradition, or habitually done, used, or found. Was this the "norm" or exceptional?
2. I wonder how many buildings were built with this attention to joinery? Just for royalty or temples?
3. I wonder why - when there are so many other, less grand, yet more practical joints? Is it the elite showing off that they can pay someone to do this?
4. I see a lot more glue surface - but no glue was used. So I have to wonder if the joints were possibly more structural. Strength, if using the same material is often the result of the amount of cross-section. The greater the cross-section = the greater forces a material can withstand. Are they stronger than dovetails and mortise and tenon - i.e. more cross-section? 
5. Wood is generally about 30% better in resisting compression than tension. It is also better in resisting shear across the grain rather than parallel to the grain. I wonder if these joints use those characteristics of wood better?
6. I suppose they had more time and labor than they had iron/steel/metal?
7. Seems so illogical, but artists often are. I could build 20 or more houses in the time it might have taken that one to be just joined. There might a severe shortage of housing if all were built in that way. 
8. Lil Mikey is TOO pragmatic for his own good!


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## T. Ben (Jun 30, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> I wasn't going to posit - but I capitulate. I truly admire the skill and talent - I truly do - BUT..... I am not embarrassed to use a nail gun!
> 1. The word "traditional" was used often. Tradition implies long-established, produced, done, or used in accordance with tradition, or habitually done, used, or found. Was this the "norm" or exceptional?
> 2. I wonder how many buildings were built with this attention to joinery? Just for royalty or temples?
> 3. I wonder why - when there are so many other, less grand, yet more practical joints? Is it the elite showing off that they can pay someone to do this?
> ...


I believe the answer to your questions is,yes.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## DWasson (Oct 8, 2021)

Karl_TN said:


>


That is beyond amazing.


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## JerseyHighlander (Oct 8, 2021)

One of my favorite things when I was young, even before officially getting into the trades, was gutting an old house down to the framing. Being able to study the construction normally hidden inside the walls was thrilling for me. If I had an opportunity to do that disassembly, I'd pay them.



Mike Hill said:


> I wasn't going to posit - but I capitulate. I truly admire the skill and talent - I truly do - BUT..... I am not embarrassed to use a nail gun!
> 1. The word "traditional" was used often. Tradition implies long-established, produced, done, or used in accordance with tradition, or habitually done, used, or found. Was this the "norm" or exceptional?
> 2. I wonder how many buildings were built with this attention to joinery? Just for royalty or temples?
> 3. I wonder why - when there are so many other, less grand, yet more practical joints? Is it the elite showing off that they can pay someone to do this?
> ...



There was a time back in the 80's -90's when I studied Japanese joinery both in timber framing and furniture making. Incredibly intricate, very strong and when done by someone well trained, goes fairly quick. I practiced making a few of the less complicated joints for a bit but didn't have a lot of time to devote to not making money back then.

I know most of the wood framed buildings were and still are constructed this way. not a single nail or modern fastener in them. Makes a lot of sense when you think how Japan is very natural disaster prone, especially earthquakes, yet has many very old buildings that just continue to laugh their way through the centuries. I see the same thing here, part of my job in building inspection includes studying building failures and it never fails to catch my attention when a storm takes out the entire modern addition to a 300 year old building, yet the original is still standing like nothing happened. Saw a lot of that with Superstorm Sandy back in 2012.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Steve Smith (Oct 8, 2021)

From what I have read Japanese joinery for furniture was often made with the purpose of the ability to disassemble it. Some joints were made with a rice based adhesive. It wasn't very strong but held joints together until someone wanted to take it apart. Rice paper screens easily got damaged and it was advantageous to be able to take apart to install new rice paper.

I bought this book a while back. No instructions on how to make the joints but good enough photos to figure out most of them.
Art of Japanese Joinery

Reactions: Informative 1


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