If you want to learn something, learn its history first! That's what I always think, but this time I would like to summarize the history of wooden fittings and kumiko work that I am involved in.
It is said that the oldest wooden fittings in Japan are those found in Horyuji Temple, which was built in 607.
It is registered as a World Heritage Site because it is the oldest wooden building in the world.
The Horyuji Temple already has kumiko work, which has been handed down by craftsmen of that era for over 1,400 years.
Since then, architectural techniques such as shinden-zukuri have developed, and at the same time, techniques for fittings and kumiko crafts have also developed.
In particular, many types of patterns were created during the Edo period (after 1600), with more than 200 types of patterns being created.
Because there were no major battles under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, arts and entertainment developed greatly during this period.
However, after the Meiji period, technology from overseas began to come in, and mass production became mainstream in order to reduce the weight by using aluminum materials and other materials to reduce costs.
In the 2020s, more advanced technology has replaced many fittings with mass-produced fittings, and wooden fittings made from scratch by craftsmen are on the decline.
Even when it comes to kumiko work, the number of Japanese-style rooms is decreasing, and in terms of cost, it is rarely used in houses.
Declining demand means less demand for the craftsmen who make them, and the opportunity to pass on the skills will be lost.
I don't think the development of technology can be stopped, so demand may continue to decline, but I will do what I can to keep this technology and knowledge, which has been handed down for over 1400 years, from dying out. I'm thinking of doing it too.
