Guild Travel: Japan (June)

Join us for a rare and immersive journey into the living world of Japanese building arts - one that goes far beyond the usual travel experience. This program is ideal for architects, builders, craftspeople, designers, students, and anyone with a deep interest in traditional building, cultural heritage, and the exchange of knowledge across cultures. This special program, organized by the Timber Framers Guild in collaboration with the Kominka Collective, offers participants the opportunity to travel both on and off the beaten path, engaging directly with the people, places, and practices that sustain Japan’s extraordinary tradition of wood construction. Over the course of almost two weeks, participants will travel from Tokyo to Kamakura, Shinshiro, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Miki, Miyama, and Keihoku, taking part in a carefully designed program of site visits, workshops, and cultural experiences.

This program brings together a welcoming and friendly group of participants, creating a supportive environment for shared learning, conversation, and exchange. Whether you are new to these traditions or have long experience in the building arts, the atmosphere is inclusive, collaborative, and engaging. 

Learn Directly from Craftspeople

A central focus of the program is the opportunity to meet and learn from a wide range of craftspeople and artisans, including carpenters, thatchers, plasterers, metalsmiths, and forestry specialists. Participants will engage in hands-on workshops and gain rare insight into traditional techniques. 

Workshops and demonstrations include:

Carpentry and yakisugi sessions in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture with members of Toda Komuten, a fifth generation architecture and construction firm

Demonstrations by metalsmiths in Miki City

Hands-on woodworking workshops with Ryosei Kaneko, Jay Van Arsdale, and others in rural Keihoku in Northern Kyoto

Thatching with Haruo Nishio in Miyama - an area known for its thatched roof minka

Kumiko woodworking with master craftsman Shinichi Murayama

Sustainable forestry walk and sawmill visit with Sachiko Matsuyama Takamuro

Experiences On and Off the Beaten Path

Alongside visits to major historic sites such as Kyoto and Nara, the program includes time in rural areas less often experienced by visitors, including stays in thatched-roof minka and visits to working workshops, and forests.

Highlights Include:

• Visiting architect Yoshihiro Takishita at his minka in Kamakura
• Observing traditional woodworking and yakisugi production
• Attending the Kezuro-kai National Competition, try your hand at hewing and using an adze, many hand tools will be for sale
• Visiting the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
• Exploring the thatched-roof village of Miyama

Links of relevant interest:

https://www.kominkacollective.com

https://kasumijapan.com/blogs/news/miki-city-japan

Cost:

4,300 USD – single room

$4,000 USD – shared room

Includes all in-country travel, lodging for 12 nights, entry fees to events and temples/shrines, and most meals. Does not include airfare or travel insurance. 

We will be offering up to three scholarships for this special tour, up to 25% of the cost.  If you would like to apply, click here

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