Explore Japan — Season 1, Episode 12: Capturing Masters’ Workmanship

Episode synopsis

In Nara’s Asuka district, where Japan’s capital was located during the 7th century, you’ll find Horyuji Temple, home to the oldest wooden buildings on earth, still standing after 1,300 years. During extensive repairs in the Showa period, attention turned once again to the kanna, or Japanese plane, and its role in maintaining the surfaces of wooden buildings. Expert carpenters from across Japan gathered in Aichi Prefecture to compete in a kanna competition, seeing who could create the thinnest shavings of wood. There, we met with a legendary kanna master and three-time winner of the contest. Using cutting-edge video technology, we’ll reveal the master’s techniques, which lend durability to building materials. In the workshop of Chiyozuru, a brand that has won favor with skilled carpenters, we’ll reveal the essential skills that go into crafting a kanna. This program uses the latest measuring instruments to illuminate the sophistication of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

About Explore Japan

Japan continues to thrive as it incorporates cultural elements of music, fashion, cuisine, sports, arts and science from around the world. People’s encounters trigger the fusion of Japan’s and the world’s diverse culture, unceasingly producing a myriad of new phenomena and events. This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Koshu: The Miraculous Wine
• E2Japan-discovery, Self-discovery: Exchange Students in Tokyo
• E3My Life with Aikido
• E4Delivering to Space
• E5Peru & Japan Fusion of Cuisine
• E6The Somin Naked Festival
• E7The World of Miniatures
• E8The Manufacturing Spirit and Sustainability
• E9Japanese Gardens, Aesthetic Encounters
• E10Going Beyond Tradition: The Challenge of Craftspeople in Kyoto
• E11Innovative Japanese Bread
• E13MUSIC TRUNK: Journey to Discover the Roots of Japanese Sound