Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

Overview

The Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum is a museum specializing in the carpentry tools that have supported traditional Japanese architecture. Opened in 1984, it relocated to a new building in 2014. The museum displays actual and replica tools used in wooden architecture from the Jomon period to the Showa era, chronologically arranged. Exhibits include planers, chisels, saws, ink-marking tools, as well as stone and iron axes. A full-scale reproduction of traditional Japanese wooden architecture's "Kogumi" (wood-joining) technique allows for a close-up view of its intricacies. You can experience the magnificence of traditional architectural techniques through exhibits such as a reconstruction of the Todai-ji Kondo's structural components and a skeleton tea room. An emakimono (picture scroll) depicting a Kamakura-era construction site comes to life with a touch of a touch panel, and video displays explain how to use the carpentry tools. The woodworking studio holds woodworking classes led by veteran master carpenters and woodworkers, offering hands-on experiences such as planing wood and hammering nails. The Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum provides a profound understanding of Japan's traditional architectural culture.