Making Shoji

Are you interested in how Japanese shoji are made in Japan? Then this book is an excellent reference. I read it through and through and though it looks complicated for an amateur like me, it still made me want to try to build my own.

This book is mostly over my head, but it goes a long way to satisfy my curiosity about the mystery of the Japanese house, specifically, the wonderful sliding screens that tranform spaces and make them more fluid. I especially like the fact that the author talks a lot about his apprentice years, even down to the tools he received and the sorts of jobs he was expected to do. In the U.S., houses aren't built with this blend of art & science, but I think that may change as people become more unhappy with the slapped-together, junk-wood and drywall method of home building. MAKING SHOJI is probably not for the Black & Dekker crowd, but carpenters and other curious folk will find it very interesting.

This is a very comprehensive guide to make japanese screens in the traditional style.I found it useful and you can figure out the western tools needed if you dont have the Japanese tools.

If you ever want to be deeply impressed with the human ingenuity take a look at this book. The lowly shoji door, is a commonplace in Japanese homes. Not just as doors, but as windows and room dividers. And each is a work of art, put together by craftspeople like Toshio Odata using the same tools they did a thousand years ago.For the woodworker this book is a detailed study of the techniques and processes involved in creating an object that is simple in its concept and incredibly complex in it's potential. To the student of Japanese culture the book is a vivid tour of the philosophy and commitment that underlie many of the simple, traditional factors of their lives, from doors to teacups. An insight into some of their aesthetic underpinnings.Homeowners in Japan would collect and age wood, especially for their houses. Then an itinerant craftsman would take up residence for the time needed, building both his workshop and then features expected of him. All the tools he used must be easily portable and capable of work both delicate and massive. For a true master, an intricate door would take a day, despite being made completely from scratch.Odate combines instruction with anecdote, while the photographs and diagrams are easy to follow. Compared to the traditional way a Japanese learned carpentry (by 'peeking' at the master) this book is a gift for those who want to master the Japanese toolset. For someone like me, who is used to modern machinery and automation, the book is a lesson in humility as well.

Shoji is the word for Japanese sliding doors and screens made of wood. Their making requires a degree of skill and attention to detail previously thought to be beyond the reach of amateur woodworkers. Now master craftsman Toshio Odate provides an illustrated, step-by-step, compendium of practical instruction that will enable the novice to successfully create and assemble two shoji projects: the common sliding screen with hipboard, plus an intricate transom featuring the beautiful asanoha pattern. Building on this foundation, Odate gives construction details and nots on eight shoji variations. Technical chapters cover the Japanese mortise-and-tenon joint, shoji paper, and home-made rice glue. Making Shoji is an impressive, unique, highly recommended, "do-it-yourself" woodworker friendly instruction guide.