Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
A unique, world-class museum introducing Japan’s culture of wood and craftmanship and the specialized tools used in traditional architecture
Anyone with even a casual interest in Japanese architecture and woodworking traditions will find this gem of a museum fascinating. Located in a beautifully landscaped setting at the foot of Mt Rokko on the outskirts of Kobe, this contemporary museum is well worth a few hours of exploration for its educational and hands-on exhibits. It will appeal to visitors of all interests and ages including family groups, and is easily accessible by train.
Consider purchasing the “Hanshin Tourist Pass”, a day-pass operated by Hanshin Railway which allows you to travel from Umeda or Namba stations in central Osaka to Kobe. You get off at Hanshin’s Kobe-Sannomiya stations, from where it’s a pleasant about 20-minute walk to the museum. Available to foreign tourists in Japan, the pass allows unlimited use on Hanshin lines and is a cost-effective way of exploring Kobe and Osaka for the day.
Preserving Japan’s monotsukuri traditions
The museum was first opened in 1984 by Takenaka Corporation (a major Japanese engineering and construction firm) with the aim to collect Japanese carpentry tools and to preserve this important part of Japan’s artisanal monotsukuri culture. The collection is now exhibited in a beautifully designed facility – a building which itself employed traditional Japanese techniques in its construction. The museum has collected some 35,000 tools and building materials, with approximately 1,000 exhibits on display at any one time across the two basement exhibition floors. Through an active program of permanent displays, special exhibitions, seminars and hands-on workshops, Takenaka aims to pass on the traditions of the past to new generations. One of a kind, it’s the only museum in Japan celebrating Japanese carpentry and the world of wood.
From ancient to modern times
The museum’s displays cover the full range of carpentry tools from antiquity to the present day. The collection shows the evolution of tools over the ages and how they can be equally functional as well as objects of great beauty. There are explanations of Japanese architectural techniques ranging from the precise nature of post-and-beam joinery to the delicate construction of shoji sliding doors to the complex layered roof construction of Japanese temples. It’s easy to see how these concepts continue to influence the work of contemporary Japanese architects today such as Tange Kenzo, Ando Tadao and Kuma Kengo (who designed the stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics).
The educational nature of the museum provides insights into the unique architectural style of Japan’s heritage buildings and its temples and shrines, allowing the visitor to more fully appreciate construction styles when touring these sites in Japan and the critical role that wood plays in Japanese culture in general.
Diversity of exhibits
In addition to carpentry tools such as planes, chisels and hammers, the exhibition also features lumbering and blacksmithing tools, as well as carpentry tools used in other countries to help highlight differences in tool design. One of the museum’s most interesting sections is the “The Traditional Beauty of Japanese Wa” exhibit where visitors can inspect a full-scale model of a Japanese teahouse and appreciate the simple beauty of the wood and bamboo construction as well as intricate screen-door design techniques such as kumiko and karakami. Another exhibit uses a model of World Heritage Toshodai-ji Temple in Nara to show how the elaborate kumimono roof bracketing structure seamlessly supports the eave and roof above.
A sensory experience
In addition to the displays, the three-storey building itself is uniquely conceived. In order to reduce the impact of the building on the surrounding natural environment, two floors of the building are built below the ground with only one level exposed. Architectural details of the building, including earthen walls and floor tiles, have also been expressly incorporated into the building to show how traditional techniques can be applied to modern constructions. In the landscaped gardens, an original teahouse designed by a master carpenter has been preserved. The exhibition also introduces the variety of timbers used in traditional Japanese buildings with the opportunity to also smell their subtle fragrance, another important concept within Japanese architecture. Visitors can also enjoy a break sitting in the wooden chairs and tables carved by local artists in the glassed lobby area, contemplating the simple beauty of the outside rock garden.
Workshops, demonstrations and facilities
The museum runs regular workshops and demonstrations to encourage visitors of all ages to try their hand at Japanese carpentry. This is a very popular workshop, so please visit the museum official website to confirm dates and times. There is a strong hands-on, interactive focus across the museum.
There is detailed English signage throughout the exhibitions and English-language audio guides are also available. There is a refreshment area and ability to purchase drinks.
Access Information
From Osaka:
Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station – take the Hanshin Main Line bound and get off at Kobe- Sannomiya Station
Hanshin Osaka-Namba Station – take the Hanshin Namba Line bound and get off at Kobe- Sannomiya Station
Louise Fraser
Louise Fraser is a freelance writer based in Kyoto. From Australia originally, Louise loves exploring the Kansai area, both the quiet backblocks of its countryside with its web of hiking trails and hamlets as well as its fascinating cities layered with over one thousand years of history and contemporary culture.