Status Updates From The Building of Horyu-ji. T...

comparing wood tradition in european/western cultures with japanese culture is a bit broad. consider the difference between broadleaf woods and conifers... like describing working with “meat” instead of thinking of differences between handling beef vs. handling fish meat.

... and a possibly controversial follow-up to that: it may be related to how “people living in southern climes tend to maure earlier, and those in the north tend to live longer lived. people gradually grow taller in height from the warmer to the colder regions.”

after understanding the differences in properties of aged wood vs. new wood, Kohara found a way to age wood by heat treatment. he tested out this technique by giving a violin maker some different pseudo-aged woods and sure enough the violin maker preferred the “oldest” one (selling it to a satisfied american violinist!)

“Some people believe that human beings are the equivalent of a precision machine, and can be replaced by computers. The fact is even a lowly cockroach can’t be replaced by a calculator. Still, we continue to believe that human beings can be emulated by a computer. This is one of the common pitfalls of technological education, resulting from a blind faith in quantitative reasoning.”

2/3 of wood used in japan is imported- may actually be facing a wood shortage. the particulars of using wood as carefully as carpenters throughout history have, by understanding the idiosyncrasies of each tree, cannot be replicated with the use of engineered wood products

conifers growing on a slope exhibit “ate” -conical bent shape. analogous to reinforcing placement in a concrete beam.

in some ways kohara is elaborating on nishioka’s chapter in a more scientific way, but he also weaves in some slightly tacky “life lessons” that trees might be teaching us - “being big and powerful is not necessarily a good thing; bring rvh didn’t necessarily bring happiness” and “overprotection breeds weakness”

(Kohara here now) “The task facing us now is to make the most of wood’s natural qualities while applying the technology of modern science. Given this, it is of utmost importance that we learn from the age-old experience of our predecessors, to garner hints on how to bring out the best in wood. We must learn from the past to forge the future.”

compares the structural system (central pillar) of five story pagoda to that of a very tall tree. noticed there was no differential settlement among columns over all the years

“The japanese way of building, of knowing trees and using wood, is still alive and well after 1300 years of history. The most we can do is to learn from this building technology; it is impossible to surpass it. It is my job, I believe, to pass on this knowledge and expertise to future generations.”

insists that the flexibility of all-wood construction is responsible for the survival of historic structures. believes that adding materials such as concrete will only damage wood in the case of disaster.

“when steel is driven into a wooden member, the rust causes the surrounding wood to rot. the hole created by a bolt expands to twice its normal size due to rust, and results in damage to the wood. as a consequence, when repair work is carried out, not only the steel but the wood itself must be replaced.”

every tree has a sunny and shady side, sunny side stronger and should face south for winds

trees growing on the south and east sides of mountaintops were subject to strong winds and would have more knots. they would be used for load bearing members, whereas wood grown on the west and north sides of mountaintops are “quiet and well-mannered” and would be used for decorations and fixtures.

“If you combine trees that curve to the left with trees that curve to the right, the forces in effect from left to right are balanced, and the resulting structure doesn’t become distorted and lean to one side. This is the fundamental principle behind wood joinery (kigumi).”

removed sap from trees by soaking them in ponds and lakes until water forced out the sap; the log would then float to the top of the water. “Once the sap had been removed, the passage of water in the wood would improve and drying would gain momentum.”

“Almost all of the buildings at Hōryū-ji are constructed with hinoki, and all the principal parts consist of trees over 1000 years old. These trees, now in place for 1300 years, are as steady as ever... what happened when we removed the heavy tiles and roof soil? In two or three days the rafters had returned to their original shape. The wood was still alive.”

“Building a pagoda means joining wood. Joining wood means matching the wood’s traits. Matching the wood’s traits means matching human traits. Matching human traits means matching human hearts. The matching of human hearts refers to the master carpenter’s consideration for his workers. Rather than criticizing the faults of others, consider your own faults first.”

“Human beings are born from the earth and return to the earth. Trees also come from the earth and return to it. Buildings are built on the earth. Without earth, you wouldn’t have humans or trees or pagodas. Without knowing the earth, you can’t become a real human being or a good carpenter.” Nishioka’s grandfather