I still have a few more things to post and some more pictures from our time in Japan but was just sent a link to an article in the Japan Times. It was interesting to see how the Japanese press saw us.
Rustic building fest spans two continents
Traditional craftsmen come together to share their skills
Back in early August, as families across Japan were beginning to plan trips to their hometowns during the upcoming Obon holidays, Hannes Schnelle of Sarenseck, Germany, and 26 fellow Europeans were preparing for a Japanese journey of their own.
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| Cutting edge: The multinational carpenters sharpen their tools. WINIFRED BIRD PHOTOS |
On their collective packing list: Five drawknives, two pitsaws, 14 thrust axes — and seven each of hatchets and ripsaws. The brawny group of Germans, English, Belgians, Swedes, Danes and Austrians stepped off their airplane in Tokyo on Aug. 6.
Fortunately for the citizens of Japan, their goal was not to stage a low-tech reenactment of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” but rather to join 30 Japanese craftsmen and women in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture for a backwoods building bonanza called the “Chisana Kezurokai” — which roughly translates as: “Mini Let’s Plane Together Event.”
During the course of the two-week event, the multinational group of expert blacksmiths, carpenters, and carvers built a small Japanese teahouse and a European pavilion — all made without the use of a single watt of electricity.
Full article here
And now for that tea house in less than five minutes. This was raising day, the video edited by Nicola for the Kesurokai blog
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/14675720 w=400&h=225]
Japanese tea house construction from Nicola Wood on Vimeo.
