Woodworking Gallery
At Tokyo Mokkoujou Arts & Crafts Furnishings, the techniques and skills developed and refined since Shimizu’s time as a temple and shrine carpenter can still be seen in the joints, frets, and other woodwork that is produced. Tokyo Mokkoujou also draws on contemporary technologies, including numerically controlled (NC) routers, as it seeks to enhance traditional methods with new techniques that can optimize the characteristics of lumber and broaden its possibilities.
Joints
In the old days, when the only adhesive available was glue, joint techniques required considerable ingenuity.
Various types of joints are used depending on the location and particular work. Used less often now, these techniques require the high level of skill found only at facilities like Tokyo Mokkoujou.
Fretwork
A method of connecting pieces of wood without nails, fretwork is used to make fittings and other parts of buildings. Like joints, fretwork requires considerable skill.
NC router
This router is used for numerically controlled machining based on a computer. It is useful in creating complex curves, but requires a great deal of skill and experience, including the ability to identify the traits specific to each article of lumber, thus ensuring a product with cleanly cut surfaces.
