The Art of Japanese Joinery
About this book
The Art of Japanese Joinery is a classic introduction to traditional Japanese carpentry for design students, furniture makers, and anyone interested in how wood is joined. Written by Kiyosi Seike, professor of architecture at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and published in a redesigned edition by Shambhala in 2025, the 168-page English-language paperback explores the history and development of Japanese carpentry. It presents a curated selection of forty-eight joints, shown through detailed photographs and clear isometric drawings.
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For coursework, the book helps students understand how a joint determines strength, appearance, and the way a piece is assembled and taken apart. The drawings make the joints easy to reproduce in a workshop, at the scale of a building or a sewing box. Students can use it to study fastener-free construction, compare it with modern fixings, and draw ideas for their own furniture or prototypes. On a university reading list, it works as a practical companion to books on materials and manufacturing, and adds a Japanese craft perspective to discussions of making.
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