Japanese Historical Architecture and its Culture

  Recently Shark and Soo took Jan, a college intern at the Hyogo Tourism Association, to Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum to learn about the history of Japanese architecture and carpentry. Built in 1984, this museum displays traditional tools used to make Japan’s historical wooden architecture, and many more. Let’s take a tour to see the heart and skill of Japanese craftsmen.   　

  Once you enter Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, you’ll start from the third floor. The theme for this floor is to “hand down.” There are hundreds of tools displayed from different parts of the world as well as from different eras. We were able to compare Japanese tools to European tools, and see how decorative European tools were. European tools had an engravings of animals and people, and were so artistic that I thought it can even be displayed as one of the interiors for my house.

  The theme on the second floor is “to construct.” On this floor, you can see the high-quality skills used to strengthen the framework of Japanese wooden structures. In the center of the floor, there are displays of different ways of binding two pieces without using nails.

After we saw the amazing techniques and ideas used in the framework, we saw displays of the working areas of carpenters and blacksmiths. To know that this high-quality work was all done by their hands was simply astonishing.

  The first floor contains an amazing model of one of the most popular temples in the country, Horyuji Temple. Its unique 5 storied-structure is perfectly recreated to the smallest detail. I saw the true respect that these craftsmen have for the history and beauty of Japanese architecture.

  I believe historical architecture captures the heart of people all across the world because it was all created with quality craftsmanship and with a very strong sense of pride and professionalism. Please come and see the history and culture of wooden architecture in Japan!

  

＜Access＞

A 10 minute walk from JR/Hanshin Motomachi Station

A 5 minute walk from Subway Kencho-mae Station

An 18 minute walk from JR/Hanshin/Hankyu Sannomiya Station

A 10 minute taxi ride from Sanyo Shinkansen (bullet train) Shin-Kobe Station

  

Adults    \300

University and High School students   \200

Junior High School and Elementary students   \100

Seniors (65 and above) \100

Group discount available (20 people or more)

Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum Architecture

http://www.dougukan.jp/（Japanese）

http://www.dougukan.jp/contents-en/（English）