The Carpenters' Line

Japan House London's exhibition and event series explore master carpentry

• The Carpenters' Line uncovers the art of master woodworking from the densely forested Hida region of Gifu Prefecture, central Japan.  
• The title refers to both the lineage of woodworking in Hida and a sumi-nawa – a carpenter's line – a fundamental Japanese carpentry tool used for marking straight lines on wood. 
• This free exhibition also explores tools, techniques and products synonymous with Hida's woodworking heritage.
• The Carpenters' Line runs from 29 September 2022 to 29 January 2023.  
• As well as the exhibition, a series of events and workshops on Hida's carpentry culture are being delivered by Japan House London in collaboration with experts from Japan.

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Japan House London presents The Carpenters' Line: Woodworking Heritage in Hida Takayama, an exhibition exploring the art of master carpentry from the densely forested Hida region of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan.  

For centuries, the woodworkers of Hida have used a sumi-nawa, a carpenter's line, to create the inked line that marks the start of the project. Just as this physical carpenter's line is the starting point of a work of carpentry, so too can Hida's woodworking heritage be traced back to its origins over 1300 years ago. During Japan's Nara period, carpenters from Hida were sent to the imperial capitals to build temples and shrines in lieu of paying taxes, with Gifu's forests providing the workers with the wealth of raw materials required. Today the practice of woodworking still thrives in Hida, most notably in the city of Takayama, with many established workshops and factories well known for their collaborations with domestic and international designers.

Visitors to The Carpenters' Line will not only encounter a series of installations about Hida's woodworking legacy, but will also be immersed in the sights, sounds, and even smells of Hida's forests. Lush green mountain scenery on printed on wall-to-ceiling curtains, a twenty-four-hour sound cycle from the forest and the fragrant scent of cypress transport the visitor's senses to Hida, providing the perfect backdrop to take in exhibits showcasing carpentry techniques, technology, materials, products, and people. The Carpenters' Line is the first ever exhibition in the UK to explore Hida's master carpentry and offers visitors the opportunity to view exhibits hard to find outside of Japan, such as a yatai, an ornate festival float, and a shaku, a ceremonial sceptre, that was presented to the Japanese Imperial Household in 2019.