Japanese forests

Japan is one of the world's more densely forested countries, with 67% of its land covered in trees. As a mountainous island nation, stretching from north to south, its diverse climate is influenced by significant temperature variations and ocean currents. As a result, Japan has a rich variety of forest ecosystems. The abundant precipitation and favourable climate create an environment where forests would flourish even if left untouched. The people in Japan have lived in harmony with these forests, benefitting from their resources and building a rich culture around the use of wood.

The Japanese perspective on trees and the forest stems from a profound reverence for nature. Based on the Shintō belief system, Yaoyorozu no kami (lit. ‘eight million spirit-deities’) is the concept that spirit-deities (kami) reside in all elements of the natural world. The woodsman seeks permission from these mountain kami when felling the trees of the forest, and it is this deep respect that is at the heart of Japan’s woodworking craft.

The trees continue alive as architecture 

Since ancient times, carpenters were always responsible for the selection and processing of timber for large-scale construction projects. This has included transforming centuries-old trees, such as Japanese cedar, hinoki cypress, and pine, into material for sacred structures. Japanese carpenters have played this crucial role for centuries, and over time even as the work has evolved into specialized trades, this spirit has been passed down through generations of craftsmen.

In other parts of the world, it is often rare to use timber from coniferous trees as primary structural materials. The temple of Hōryū-ji in Nara, built around 1,300 years ago, is recognized as the world's oldest existing wooden structure and is built from hinoki cypress, a conifer. Its main components consist of timber from hinoki trees over 1,000 years old, although some materials have been replaced during the dismantling and repair that occur once every few hundred years. Even such well-weathered wood will emit a fragrant aroma with just a slight scratch of the surface. The wood continues to live on, even as it changes form.

In Japan’s architecture, a variety of wood types – hinoki cypress, Japanese cedar, pine, zelkova, and chestnut – are used according to their purpose. Each type has different physical properties, which are strongly influenced by their growing environment. These inherent characteristics are called the ‘habits’ (kuse) of the wood, which are carefully considered to combine the right material with its best application. One easily recognizable characteristic is the different aromas of different woods.

Hitatare ceremonial attire 

On ceremonial occasions (hare), during rituals to designate a sacred space or pay respect to forest spirit-deities (kami), carpenters wear special Heian-period (794–1185) garments. There are subtle differences in attire and tools based on the carpenter's rank. In the Takenaka Ōsumi tradition, it is customary for the master carpenter to wear a white robe and carry a wooden ceremonial sceptre (shaku), while the deputy master and assistants wear garments called hitatare, and carry small fans (chūkei). This is the hitatare worn by the assistants.

Courtesy of the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, Kōbe.

Carpentry tools for ceremonies

Date unknown

The items displayed on the altar are for ceremonial presentation and have no practical use. These pieces are from the mid-Shōwa period (1926–1989). The tools – including an adze, carpenter's line, ink marker, and carpenter's square – symbolize the master carpenter's skill and precision.