Takumi Kodo Limited Company
[Takumi Kodo Co., Ltd.] Become Japan’s best shrine carpenter, which children admire! ~In order to make this dream come true, we will be holding an open factory at Takumi Kodo Kobo from June to July~ ……
In order to pass on the important Japanese culture of “shrines and temples architecture” and the beautiful “handicrafts” that are filled with love to the next generation, we will open an open factory at Takumi Kodo Kobo from late June to early July 2024. It will be held! This is a very valuable opportunity to see the temporary assembly process of the dynamic temple gate. Through this event, we will convey to as many people as possible, from children to adults, the charm of shrine and temple architecture and the work of shrine carpenters, and pass on Japan’s traditional culture and techniques to the next generation.
Our company supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st the day to share dreams. This press release is a dream of “Takumi Kodo Ltd.”
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/125790/2/resize/d125790-2-b7f2a83db3b1e77313bb-7.jpg&s3=125790-2-314c4451ee559680791f8eaa7ea74f5e-1200×800.jpg] Background of Takumi Kodo’s dream
We at Takumi Kodo are a group of shrine carpenters in Kyoto that design and construct shrines and temples.
We travel all over the country to construct, repair, and restore shrines and temples that will remain in place for 100 or 200 years. Most of the 13 employees are in their 20s or 30s, and all of them are full-time employees.
We are working to inherit the “traditional techniques” that are the foundation for creating the future of buildings, and to contribute to the inheritance and development of Japanese culture.
Become Japan’s best shrine carpenter, which children admire! The reason why Takumi Kodo raised this dream at April Dream is as follows. This is because we believe that in order to pass on Japan’s
traditional wooden construction techniques to the next generation, “miya carpenters” must be the people that the children who will lead the next generation aspire to.
“Living as a shrine carpenter” means passing on Japanese tradition to the next generation.
Shrines and temples built by shrine carpenters are important places that have served as a spiritual stronghold throughout the ages, as proof of the faith that the Japanese people have continued to protect. For example, Horyuji Temple has been carefully restored by temple carpenters from each era for about 1,300 years, and is still loved and carefully protected by people today.
The architecture of shrines and temples is the root of Japan’s unique wooden architecture, which was passed down to shrine carpenters along with their skills.
It is like a time capsule as it is dismantled and repaired every 100 or 200 years. The work of a shrine carpenter can be said to be a highly social job that is responsible for Japan’s traditional culture in terms of architecture.
However, in recent years, manufacturing in Japan has been in a dire state, with an emphasis on efficiency and cost reductions, resulting in unstoppable declines in product life spans and quality, and quality fraud occurring frequently. This has become a major problem in some areas of architecture, and has also made the work itself less appealing.
Furthermore, the number of craftsmen is decreasing and aging in all manufacturing fields, and this trend is said to be particularly noticeable in the construction industry.
On the other hand, traditional wooden construction techniques are based on the skills of skilled craftsmen, and are the very essence of Japan’s presence as “Made in Japan.” has received a lot of attention.
In such a social situation, nine of the 13 shrine carpenters at Takumi Kodo are in their 20s.
Young shrine carpenters are proudly working with all their might to carry out work that will last for 100 or 200 years.
In order to pass down the important Japanese culture of shrine and temple architecture and the beautiful handiwork that embodies the passion of craftsmen to the next generation, we will first help children learn about the appeal of shrine and temple architecture and the shrine carpenters themselves. It is working.
An open factory will be held that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. “We will become Japan’s No. 1 group of temple carpenters that children admire!” In order to make this dream come true, Takumi Kodo has been actively holding open factories and workshops since its founding to allow visitors to discover the work of shrine carpenters and the charm of traditional architecture.
In addition, we hold tours for junior high and high school students, carry out media PR using SNS, undertake media interviews, and actively recruit young human resources.
▼What we always tell people who come to visit us
https://www.kyoto-shokodo.jp/column/yokokawa/yokokawa03
From late June to early July, we will be holding an open factory at Takumi Kodo’s workshop where you can observe the work of shrine carpenters up close. This time’s topic is “karigumi,” which is a key part of the process of constructing shrines and temples. Temporary assembly is an important process in which parts pre-processed in the workshop are assembled and adjusted before construction on site. In 2022, we received a request from the chief priest of a temple in Gunma Prefecture to construct a new Sanmon gate. Sanmon refers to the important gate at the entrance of a temple, which is the boundary between the secular world and the Buddhist world.
This project took nearly three years from the time we received the request, and we had many discussions with the chief priest, the representative of the temple, and members of the construction committee, and after finalizing the design drawings and arranging the materials. Starting in the spring of 2024, we will begin processing and chopping the materials, and will move on to temporary assembly. ▼2022 Temporary assembly for new construction of Senkoji temple gate
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/125790/2/resize/d125790-2-25dc443cb90849c541f1-0.jpg&s3=125790-2-6694953752fd0f087928b7a4340d550d-1160×870.jpg] At this open factory, we would like you to experience the dynamic process of temporarily assembling the temple gate and the
sophisticated and delicate techniques of shrine carpenters up close. Please take this opportunity to visit Takumi Kodo Kobo.
Through this event, we will pass on Japanese traditional culture and technology to the next generation by conveying the charm of shrine and temple architecture and the work of shrine carpenters to as many people as possible, from children to adults!
-Event Overview- Observe the temporary assembly process of the temple gate up close! Takumi Kodo Open Factory
Date: Several days from late June to early July *Detailed dates and times will be decided around mid-May.
Location: Takumi Kodo Workshop (413 Nonaka-cho, Shizu-shi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto) Target: No age limit. Anyone can join.
Contents: You can watch the temporary assembly of the temple gate and the work of the shrine carpenters up close. Shrine carpenters and Takumi Kodo representative Yokogawa will also explain the work and answer any questions you may have!
Contact: Takumi Kodo representative Tomizawa (info@kyoto-shokodo.jp) You are free to take pictures inside the workshop, so all members of the media are welcome to come along.
About Takumi Kodo
Founded in 2001. We are a company that designs and constructs shrine and temple buildings by shrine carpenters, with the corporate philosophy of “living as a shrine carpenter.” By making full use of traditional wooden construction techniques inherited from the late master carpenter Okamoto, we deliver high quality and great
excitement, and contribute to the transmission and development of Japanese culture.
~What Takumi Kodo values~
・Quality power
We take pride and responsibility in being the work of a shrine carpenter and provide high quality that will satisfy our customers. ・Human power
I will continue to grow as a person by always being aware of my role as a public figure, a “miya carpenter,” and by sincerely
appreciating things and people.
·Technical capabilities
We aim to become an indispensable group of shrine carpenters in the world with the high level of technical ability that only Takumi Kodo can provide, combining traditional techniques with ingenuity. -Takumi Kodo website-
https://www.kyoto-shokodo.jp
-Various SNS-
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyoto_shokodo
X: https://twitter.com/kyoto_shokodo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyoto.shokodo
[Contact information]
Shokodo Co., Ltd.
Email address: info@kyoto-shokodo.jp
Phone number: 075-741-1888
Person in charge: Mayu Tomizawa
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/125790/2/resize/d125790-2-2847196cd33f79e09fa0-8.jpg&s3=125790-2-b5ac728f1dea5dc4858c1d11236a1180-1200×900.jpg] “April Dream” is a project by PR TIMES in which companies broadcast their dreams that they hope to eventually come true on April 1st. We are seriously aiming to make this dream come true.
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000002.000125790.html