Once again this fall Kezurou-Kai was held at Palomar College. It was hosted by the Cabinetmaking and Furniture Department and sponsored by Hida Tool of Oakland. On September 4th and 5th, our guests from Japan participated in the sharing of traditional Japanese carpentry and steel tool making techniques.

Arguably, Japanese carpenters are the most highly skilled craftsmen in the world. Japanese blacksmiths, using hand techniques of folding and forge welding, produce the finest tools steel available in the world. These blacksmiths then craft the steel into hand tools such as chisels and hand plane blades.The tools are sharpened to an incredible edge (with Japanese water stones) and used by the carpenters of Japan, and a few others who have discovered these amazing tools and learned how to use them.

The techniques, used by the Japanese craftsman, have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years and have been kept secret to the rest of the world. Mr. Kojiro Sugimura is a carpenter/temple builder in Japan. Sugimura-san and his father own and operate a 400 year-old family carpentry business. Sugimura-san decided that it was important to begin sharing the Eastern tools and carpentry methods with the rest of the world. In 1987, Sugimura-san founded Kezurou-Kai.

During the Kezurou Kai event Mr. Kojiro Sugimura and Mr. Mitsuo Naoi, led craftsman from Japan and the US, and CFT students, in construction of a traditional Japanese fence. The fence was then installed onto both ends of the Torii gate. The Torii gate was made and installed at the last Kezurou Kai. For more information and background see Kezurou-Kai 2002).

Also on hand was toolmaker, Mr. Yuji Funatsu. Mr. Funatsu thrilled participants with his ability to forge tools from raw steel stock. Some of the steel he used was centuries old, and salvaged from bridges in England.

Another main attraction was Soji screen maker, Mr. Hiroshi Awano. Mr. Awano had great skill in hand joinery. As usual, Kezurou-Kai also held a thinnest hand plane shaving contest and thinnest crosscut with a hand saw contest.

Sam Maloof was in attendance on Saturday which gave our department the opportunity to present him with a bronzed sculpture of his own hands. Mr. Naoi and Mr. Sugimura also received sculptures of their own hands.

The event lived up to all of the expectations and was a tremendous exchange of goodwill, friendship, culture, humor, technology and tradition.

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