Edo Sashimono [ Wood Joinery ]

Kimura Tadashi

Kimura, who thought “I want a job using my hands to make a living”, decided to become a craftsman for a woodworking company. He trained for 13 years under the supervision of Mr. Kunimasa Shimazaki, an artistic mentor.

There are several schools in developing craftsmen skills, Mr. Kimura was part of a samurai residence faction who draws the flow of Maeda Kuwaki. The way to make a rough indication is the same for every school, but there are differences in details such as the thickness of the tree and the depth in tenons. Mr. Kimura’s school says when making a “box tenon”, make it deeper than usual. Somewhat technical skill, sophisticated things are needed, but it is tough but leads to a perfect finish.

The circumstances surrounding the craftsmen are becoming severe, and there can be issues where we do not always get good timber. It is said that mulberry trees are supremely popular for being materials in musical instruments, especially in Miyakejima, Mulberry trees of Mikurajima are highly evaluated by craftsmen. However, at the present time the number of people cutting down trees are decreasing, and timber is not shipped out of the island as it. Mr. Kimura obtained a large mulberry tree on those islands when he was young, and still uses it to make works.

Mr. Kimura creates drawers, altar cards, hand mirrors, and more. According to the order. There are orders for folding chairs from Kyoto ‘s tea ceremony staff, orders come through from all over Japan, sometimes even from abroad, because of his great reputation. Many people are doing woodwork abroad, but the advanced technology of the Edo instructor seems to surprise foreigners frequently.
Kimura’s workshop also carries out a hands-on workshop. The cost is 3,500 yen, for about 2 hours. Applications for groups of 3 people are also possible.