The boat launching ceremony in Japan is typically called shinsuishiki (literally, "enter water ceremony")…

Here is a little compilation of some of the interesting techniques Bansho san uses to measure or mark…

In Japan, many boatbuilders use open fire to bend planking…

One of the most important elements of our work is recording the design of the tenmasen…

Ben Meader produced to following video of the Honryousen project we recently completed with Nakagawa san.

After a beautiful trip into the mountains and then a long trek from Tokamachi, which involved changing trains three times, we arrived in Himi late last Tuesday…

People often ask me what Japanese boatbuilders use as bedding or seam compound. Traditionally, many boatbuilders used raw lacquer, urushi…

He kneels in the shadow cast by the planking of the boat, bent over the fine, ink-soaked thread. The light is almost palpable in the dust-soaked atmosphere…

Douglas Brooks recently came to the shop to teach a week-long course in traditional Japanese boatbuilding. Students in the course built a 21-foot long traditional river boat…