Joutoushiki – Japanese Joinery Timber Frame Construction – House No. 1 – Part 6 in Hayama, Japan

Japanese House No. 1 – Timber Frame Construction Series – “Joutoushiki” – January 2021

In this series, we are in Hayama, Japan where we are participating in a new Japanese house build. The house design is a mix of traditional Japanese carpentry set on top of a modern concrete slab. This was done as per the request of the client and architect who decided on this style. The house is situated on a hillside overlooking picturesque Hayama.

House Information:

Land Area: ~310 sq. meters (~94 tsubo) (~3337 sq. feet)
Building Area: ~120 sq. meters (~36 tsubo) (~1292 sq. feet)
Total Living Area: ~102 sq. meters (~31 tsubo) (~1098 sq. feet)

The house has a living room/dining/kitchen open plan, 2 bedrooms with additional guest room, toilet room with vanity, washer/dressing room, Japanese split shower with bathtub, and an attached wooden deck.

In Part 6 of the House No. 1 build, we are finished building up the framework for the house and now there is a ceremony that happens that is very unique to the Japanese culture called “Joutoushiki” (上棟式). This ceremony includes a small ritual of purification of the property by placing purifying salt, rice, and sake in the four corners of the house. The ceremony also includes a short pray and thank you to the deities of carpentry and households. We pray for safe building of the rest of the house. The neighbors and friends of the homeowner are invited to watch the ceremony and partake. At the end, the homeowner and carpenters will throw mochi (rice cakes) from the roof to the neighbors and friends as a welcoming of good luck. In a separate celebration, the homeowner sometimes provides a small lunch (food items), alcohol, and a money gift to the carpenters who were involved in the build. It is a fun celebration meant to welcome the new homeowners to the neighborhood.

Special Thanks to:
Fujimoto Traditional Carpentry Company (https://ryofujimoto.com/)
Instagram: @ftc5610 @ryo5610
#woodworking #japanesewoodworking #carpentrylife
Videographers and Editing:
K. Yamashita / G. Leopardi

Equipment Used:
Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark iii (4k)
Sony ZV Log Camera (4k)
Apple iPhone 10 (4k)
Rode VideoMic NTG (Audio)

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