Tools and Various Stories

11 Heart that loves the skin

 In the tale of Susanoo no Mikoto of Chronicles of Japan, Hinoki taught the palace, cedar and Cinnamomum camphora to the boat, and Maki to the coffin. This is very consistent with the actual usage since ancient times by archaeological research. Our forefathers know about trees, and they are amazed at the certainty of the eye they choose.

 In particular, it can be said that the reason why cypress was used in buildings is because it was a tree that is easy to split and very easy to handle for ancient sawmills, and also because he loved the beautiful skin and loved its aroma. Knowing what the most wonderful building structural materials are among trees, using easy-to-cut trees for boats, and using wood that is very strong for water in coffins, indicating that Japanese people have a rich culture of wood that has been familiar with trees since ancient times.

 Our ancestors also had many mythical traditions related to trees since ancient times, and the trees were the Participants of faith. In this world, there was 'Ubusunagami' and believed that he would give a soul to Yamakawa plants. The blade of Axe cut trees in the mountains has three and four streaks. The three bottles are Miki = sake, and the four are yoki = terrestrial fire, meaning the delicacies of the mountains and sea, five grains. It is said that the Axe stood on a tree and worshiped it. No sake or five grains can be served in the mountains, so it was carved into the blade of Axe.

 In addition, many temples and shrines had sacred tree, and worshiped moss-mossed cedar and kusu large trees with "Shimenawa". It is said that the Japanese have lived surrounded by the spirit of the tree, the spirit of the tree.

 coniferous tree, such as cypress and cedar, has the freshness of the Japanese climate. And as we like the fragrant white wood skin, we have loved the skin that tickles over the years by calling it rust. Furthermore, the appeal of the wood skin is further enhanced by the clarity of the chisel. The stylish treatment of a rustic tree unique to Japan, which is different from the Western treatment on the surface, is shown in the finish. The simplicity of wood makes it soft to people's skin with mysterious power.

*This sentence is excerpted from "Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum Exhibition Commentary".

Reference materials

  • "Culture of Trees" by Jiro Obara
  • "Architecture Living in the Climate" Shigeru Wakayama
  • "The Master of Trees" Juichiro Narita
  • "Ikaruga no Takumi miyadaiku Third Generation" Tsunekazu Nishioka, Shigeru Aoyama
  • "Learn from Trees" Tsunekazu Nishioka
  • Carpenter History of Tools, Sadajiro Matsumura