Building a Japanese - American House - Tatemae Day 1 - Timber framing with Japanese Joinery 

That pace and the people listening when someone is asking a question or explaining something is really amazing

Bro, Japanese carpentry is serious, SERIOUS business! I’m literally amazed at how highly skilled and solid this construction is.

What a fascinating experience to watch skilled and humble men work together in this way. All the while calmly working as a team, respecting the quality of the final result and taking pride in the result. Slow and steady, never forcing or over exerting. Really beautiful work.

What a team. No egos, just all pros that like to get it done right with honor.

I'm so glad that I found you channel. I love the Japanese and how they do everything, always striving to do the best job and show respect to all.

Just another comment of how great this video is. It feels like you’re part of the construction team. We learned a lot from terms, security, teamwork, joinery, techniques… thanks for sharing and documenting this. Kudos to you!😊

Not a carpenter never will be anything more than a weekend hobbyist at the best but I certainly enjoy the fine art and professionalism of Japanese carpentry you are showing. Please continue what must be a lot of extra work for you and the team you are working with. Further I deeply appreciate the inclusion of the various japanese terms used along with some of that content along with its 日本語文体. First lived in Japan back in the 70's and the house next to my place was under construction at the time so hearing the voices and seeing their cohesive team work your crew bring back some beautiful memories. 🙏🙏🙏

This is the quietest construction I’ve ever heard👀

Japanese carpenters are true masters of the trade!

Those ninja work boots though! Whoever is going to get to live in that house is certainly a lucky person. Love the team spirit too.

this is simply a higher level of skill and discipline.... totally awesome

The subtitles are a 15 out of 10. Much more enjoyable to watch with the subtitles and much more educational. Thank you for your effort and hard work in bringing this to us.

I love traditional Japanese house-building. Such teamwork, such attention to detail and a great deal of craftsmanship. It's obvious these builders have respect for their trade, for their materials and for the work they produce, all sadly rather rare in the rest of the world.

いい仕事するなあ…… あと親方の説明が理にかなってて分かりやすい。

While watching this construction, I learned a lot about the Ancient Japanese techniques in carpentry and still perfecting it to the level. Dovetail techniques, Wedge Mortise & Tenon, Through Mortise Tenon, twin Mortise & Tenon, Loose Wedge, Butt joint, and many more. No nails involve in any link or joint of the wood. Ancient Japanese Jointry in woodworking is meticulously observed and learned by most Japanese and passed the techniques to the young generation. Salute to the Japanese people and to the Ancient strategies that many countries are also learning from and adopting.

Thanks for this video, I really like the longer ones. Also a shout out to the one who makes the subtitles! Really easy to watch with those. Can't wait for the next video 🙂

Thank you for showing this project! Amazing accuracy and complexity!

Another great video. Thanks, much appreciated. Even the concrete footings are perfectly formed. Each trade works to perfection. I think now we all want one of the Fujimoto Traditional Carpentry T-shirts. Sign me up.

I've been studying Japanese Carpentry/Architecture. Thanks for documenting this!

I remember when I was framing my first home and my mentor told me “you’re not building furniture, we don’t need 1/32”. This is more like furniture.

Watching this makes one realize just how crude American stick built homes really are! The jointery is fantastic and the precision on display is a testament to the craftsmanship of these trades persons/ artisans.

can watch this for hours. just satisfying and interesting!

Incredible work and great video. Thank you

I really appreciate that you’re making a well detailed video about Japanese Carpentry, it’s hard to find videos that shows the first step and the other following steps that one by one completes the foundation of the house that their building. I hope you can shoot a video next time that shows every detailed steps; from the ground to the type of joinery technique that they use for every frame. It may take some time but as someone who wants to learn and understand Japanese Carpentry in full detail, I would really appreciate it and find it very helpful. Thanks for always making informative videos 💙

Lovely work !

That house will stand for a long time.

This is really cool.

@ 20:22 This joinery is amazing!

Awesome work and awesome video. You’ve got another subscriber from Tennessee. I have always been interested in Japan and it’s culture and oddly enough, I took two years of Japanese language in high school. I never became proficient but I did learn a lot. About 8 years ago I started working in a custom cabinet/woodworking shop in Nashville and I love every aspect of woodworking. I’m not doing it as a job right now but I still have the passion. About a month ago I decided to start learning Japanese again. I’ve got the hirigana and katakana memorized again and I’m about to start with the Kanji. I’ve dreamed about a trip to Japan for a long time and I hope to make it a reality. Been watching your vids and I can’t wait to start practicing some of these joints. But first I want to get a good set of Japanese chisels. Your video of the tool shop was a great lesson and I loved the visit to the blacksmith. If I make a trip over there, I won’t be too interested in the bright lights. I want to talk to the loggers, sawyers, and builders. Thanks for the videos and the insight into a very unique trade in a very unique culture.

i just love the old Minka houses

Amazing 👍

I'm in awe!❤🇧🇻

Great videografy! Great thanks

I can't even imagine the budget for such a project... that much large wood alone in this day-and-age must be a fortune

Excellent

Incrível parabens pelo trabalho. Brasil

This is straight up craftsmanship AND teamwork porn. Inspiring to watch. I understand we're watching the building of an incredibly expensive project right now, but I think there's so many things from this crew that construction crews in the US could take away from this. Team spirit, respect, safety, and ego-free work being the biggest one.

thankyou.

Would love to watch this full project,

I love these videos! May I offer a suggestion. The subtitles are most welcome. However, I find them a little too small and a dark background would aid in visibility as they often disappear when there is a bright background. Otherwise, thank you!

Excelente manera de optimizar recursos. Muy similar a los Zafimaniris que con solo la madera construyen su habitat

Will they make a documentation on how to assemble this? also Ikea should think to make a small version of shed and sell it. It looks like fun to build it although very time consuming. It needs very careful and cooperative work to assemble such structure.

Will you be following this house to completion? I would like to see what it looks like when it's completed.

Wow! Too much to learn from youre techniques. In México, we build thinking in "everithing needs to be corrected after"

Wonder what Japanese construction workers think about using T studs, Zip System and Mineral-Wool.

Really cool video so much planning to get to this point and where can i get a pair of those shoes???

wow

As a civil engineer, I find it fascinating how they build the houses. 💯💯💯

Time for you to do a tabi review 😆

全ての梁や柱に精密な加工が施されている事に驚きました。加州生活40年で見てきた2X4工法とは全く違う次元の建築法です。はるかにスキルと精密度が必要なんですね。疑問はハメ合いは圧入を目指しているのか、隙間バメを目指しているのかと言う事ですが、どうなんでしょう？元機械設計士の疑問です。

I really like watching how this type of building is done, and what state is this in, many us states have some of the strictest building codes and laws.

Wow nihon framing is by far a thousand light years advanced over the states n the west. As much as i live stick framing jomes in the states, the japanese are perfectionist whe It comes to carpentry

Is this considered (extremely) high-end framing job in Japan or "normal"? While the joinery and framing is cool to watch, It seems to be very labor intensive!!!

No nail guns, no thin cheap wood, real wooden joins. Now that's carpentry.

I watch shoyans channel. I commented on how well built japans house are. Another person said that they only last 5-10 years. Because they aren’t an investment. I dont believe thats true at all. With all the joinery used they look much stronger than American built homes. Plus they have to worry about earthquakes and hurricanes as well.

これがホントの建前って率直に感じた。大手ハウスメーカーの監督及び大工に見せたいわ。

Спасибо автору за интересное, познавательное и увлекательное видео 👍 Подписка 🔔 ✅

Yooo I just noticed that while all these guys are working in hardhats and helmets, they're all wearing jika tabi!

Very interested in doing something like this for my family. Can you expand a bit more on the cost and time investment for a project like this? What is the viability of this wood and construction in places like Houston, TX or Vancouver or Northern California? Thank you in advance, great work!

How long time it takes to you guys assemble that wood structure?

Думаю Японское домостроения самое качественное

服装もキチッと揃えたらなおかっこいいんやろなぁ

Utterly captivating…wonderful to see expert craftsmanship at work….if only we could build more like this in the US instead of the incredibly wasteful-and flimsy-stick frame structures that do not stand the test of time.

Are all the joineries hand made?

When I saw the title I thought Japanese-American referred to the house's style, not the homeowners who will move into it. I find it hard to conceptualize traditional japanese construction with an american floorplan so I was rather confused.

I'm surprised they didn't use the moisture barrier between the foundation and sill beam. I've seen other Japanese crews use it on their builds.

To hell with listening to hammer taps all day 😂. Building these in summer no shade in hot climates and hammer taps all day yeah no thanks .. lol😅😂

Overly complicated, time consuming, but beautiful Japanese wood joinery...

dude just straight up said ”from inside”

This was so cool to watch! Do the carpenters ever use wax on the joints? For easier install.

Amazing skills

👍

Those japanese construction sites are so quiet that i propably go to sleep

I want a Fujimoto Carpentry Tshirt lol

The ultimate Ikea assemblage

Timber is more expensive in Mexico but perhaps our construction methods can be mixed. Will you come to Mexico one day?

Wait this isn't your house? I was thinking you were building your own house. If not then what is your role in project? Are you an employee of this construction company, the owner or a sort of enthusiast?

Love the videos, this is how carpentry should be taught and performed here in the States. The Fujimoto T-shirts the crew wears are in different colors, does a specific color represent that persons skill level or job role?

So good to watch this master craftmanship in the traditional setting, what are the employment prospects for international tradesmen looking to have a crack in Japan ?? Just asking for and Aussie Chippy ?? 🌏

They building a house or an office building?? Crazy amount of scafolding and crane work for a house

At 22:13 dude is fixing to crush his toe. Stay safe.

I want one of those fujimoto shirts 😅

300mm tall beams or 300cm tall beams?

Are the jikatabi just tradition or is there a reason they are (mostly) worn by the crew?

what would average cost be in USA??

What is the substance they are rubbing on the tenons to lubricate assembly? Soap? Wax? Grease?

Japanese was maybe the CNC.

Great video, and thanks for the subs, but why is the sound panned/weighted to the left so much?

楽しいね

Kambaru mina san🥰🥰😍😍 From: YUTAKA KOGYO, Osaka Japan Sacho Oka

Bakalan lebih keren kalau ada time-lapse from Zero mas

贅沢な家だ。プレカットのおもちゃみたいな造りとは雲泥の差。

How those guys work and the quality of wood processing is definetelly a wet dream for someone outside of Japan (be it USA or Europe) that is thinking about building a house and is going to hire a company to do the work :) Question - how hot was it during the day that day? Also - I've heard at another Japanese carpentry channel that rain at the day of framing is a good sign 🤔

What do they do if one beam or pillar gets rotten from bottom? Can it be changed easily?

Really beautiful example of this method of construction and the puzzle lover in me appreciates the process but….people should know that this is not how every house is built in Japan. This is very much a niche and traditional way and it seems that with exception to the foundation and anchoring system everything was done to preserve these methods like using chestnut shims under the sill plate instead of plastic. One overlooked advantage of this approach is the avoidance of using the ugly steel structural connectors that are difficult to conceal but there are so many reasons why I don’t think this type of construction is practical in a modern house. Changes are next to impossible and while you might say ‘plan it right from the start so you don’t need to change anything’ I agree but things can change especially in thirty or fifty years. The other problem is insulation. Japanese homes are notoriously under-insulated and wood is also not the ideal source of mass in the walls. Also running your modern mechanicals like plumbing electrical and HVAC are a pain in the neck with this construction. I have seen in a nice enough house in Kyoto where an electrician ran Romex up the stairs and just stapled it zigzag on each riser and tread. Ultimately these houses end up being hybrids with modern kitchens and bathrooms and drywall instead of the traditional tsuchikabe(mud wall). So the geeky craftsman and occasional traditionalist in me gets why one would do this incredibly complex joinery but there is something a bit over the top and impractical about it.

The intricate locking of the pieces doesn't belong with such material. Look how much labor is needed for fine tuning. There should be modern composite material pieces that are machine made to exact spec for ease of installation. Even including wood chips (like osb has) for those that want the wood feel to the pillars.

Realizing that every build and scenario is different, would you please comment on the cost of building a home like this versus using one of the major Japanese home manufacturers like Hebel or Daiwa?

Can you build this house in the U.S.?

What are the chances of having this level of excellence, outside of Japan? Short of flying over an entire crew, materials, tools, etc...