More than likely because it is about quality and not about quantity. If you can find a quality construction company here in the states, their worksite is also impeccable. Hard to find but they exist.
Not nearly as earthquake proof as North American standards. During the Kobe Quake there was a subdivision built to British Columbia standards and all those building got were some cracked plaster but the Japanese post and beam construction all fell down.
Stupidity at its best, simple is better. Thats why these people live in small cage like houses probably a normal house costs a fortune with these building techniques
well my old teacher/boss forced us to 1/16 inch for general and ZERO for staircases, he was a Master Carpenter with around 35plus years in framing, rough and finish carpentry.
@@ryanmolloy5421 earth quakes yes. The seperation from the concrete creates room for vibrations to spread and flatten out. Tsunamis not so much. There isn't really much you can do against a strong water current. The foundation showcased in this video will likely survive but the dovetails won't hold the pillars even with support beams. The pillars will fold down collapsing the house. But luckily wooden houses aren't that costly to rebuild especially on an existing strong foundation.
Just wanted to let you know as a Japanese dude, I've learned a lot from your video. I applaud you for getting into these industries infamous for the rigid traditional ways and your boss for the flexibility in accepting you as an apprentice.
@@drwombatThis site looks so clean that it almost looks bare. However, the Japanese construction sites especially the residential homes tend to be very clean because homeowners often come check on the progress and begin introducing themselves to the neighbors. They usually go around before the construction begins to apologize for the noise and inconvenience. Give some gifts. So what the contractors do are seen as the homeowner's behavior. The contractors know this so they are usually very good about keeping the site clean. On the other hand, larger commercial buildings tend to be more catered and less well-kept based on my casual observation.
They pour the slab first, then use reusable forms to do the stem walls. So the slab is probably pretty close and then with the forms they can get it just about perfect
@@ismu34 Exactly. My house was built using 2x4 techniques but the foundation was of standard Japanese design. I wanted to have a hole running through the foundation so before it was poured I cut a section of PVC pipe and forced it between the inner and outer walls.
This is not the ‘standard’ house, is it? The foundation is, but this type of post and beam is usually only found in more expensive houses. Note: Just watched the first part again. Those are hinoki beams? Very expensive wood so definitely not a standard house.
Having began my adult life building houses and now in IT here in the US, I can say with authority that my crew would have screwed up the hold down fastener itself from step one, and it would have gone downhill from there. That was 40 yrs ago when we had apprentices, so it terrifies me how bad it is today. I am impressed on so many levels- starting at the formwork/finish for the concrete- stunning!
Japanese carpentry is amazing. So much precision and care goes into every part of the frame. Unlike Australia where dozens of errors are fixed with extra nails or an offcut or not at all.
This is one of the most satisfying videos I think I've ever watched. I think you have to have done a little bit of building to understand just how difficult it is to get all of the pieces of this project to fit together so smoothly. The concrete foundation has to be poured to such tight tolerances, the curing and milling of those wood beams has to be done so perfectly, the measuring of the bolt locations has to be literally perfect, the hand drilling of the bolt holes has to be spot on along perfect along two axes, and the joints have to be cut so, so precisely... I mean, just looking at those toshibashira joints waiting to receive the corner posts makes me break out in a sweat, I would never attempt anything like that because my cuts would be slightly off and the post wouldn't fit. So freaking impressive.
I think a lot of people are intimidated by these apparent challenges, however, there are methods to achieve the needed precision and it may not be as difficult as one might think after a little practice. It is worth giving it a try...of course, beginning with a smaller project and some practice joints. Just be sure your chisels are sharp!
You know what they say - measure twice cut once. Unfortunately, that implies people know how to use a tape measure correctly. That often doesn't seem to be the case.
Well it's really not like that. American builders need to build at-scale and volumes different than Japanese construction crews for homes. Americans are quite skilled and smart.
I agree. Every american expects a single family house and a car. This scale is not possible nor sustainable for other places. Often housing developments are built hundreds of houses at a time. I imagine the house in the video is for a wealthy individual?
@@e4d578 Skilled & Smart? sure but the main comment talk also about "pride" , now compare the Japanese & American culture then talk about "pride" at work, Enlighten me with your knowledge .
@@libby2979 My first job was with Japanese construction. I think many Americans have just as much pride but also need to consider volume, so some things matter and some don't.
The joinery really caught my eye, and the care taken in marking and drilling the anchor bolt holes for what appears to be sill plates is just fascinating to me. Artisan joinery requires very accurate measurement, marking and experienced craftsmanship all of which I witnessed in this video. Learned something about chestnut which I didn't know. Outstanding work. I am glad I found this video.
We been to a construction site a few years ago, where many of 'us' constructors felt it was way over complicated and rather slow paced (just doing the foundation can easy take up days, we wrap it up in max a day), the sheer accuracy is basicly mesmerizing. The entire process from concrete pooring (plus groundwork) to the skeleton structure is all measured down to milimeters, no wiggle, no slack, it fits insanely tight. Though we mostly build fully concrete (walls, foundation) wich have a huge margin due to hardening, their buildprocess is considerable longer (we done tops 12 months, often less, where avarage japanse house can go 1-1,5 years), it really is a quality over quantity story. I hope to visit US sites this or next year, we in Europe just have a complete different material/construction approuch that such insane accurate measurements are just 'brushed away' with some extra drywalls and we accept nothing is perfect (they showed us a room that was to the mm 420x420mm, where ours done often vary upto 1-3cm each side).
12:30 WOW! That has to be a mountain of maths to get all that to meet up properly in the end! I've built a LOT of modular structures with similar connections before and I've NEVER put all the pieces in place and locked down BEFORE the connecter that joins them. Wow! Intense respect for doing this this way...the precision coordination required across multiple people or even whole crews to do this like this is astounding to me. We have a hard time here just finding someone to clear trash in a proper manner...wow.
Actually you try to avoid doing math as much as possible. It's more a matter of getting the measurements right, and copying your measurements from one piece to another so that if you're off by a tiny bit at least you're off by the exact same amount everywhere so everything will still fit. That's why the guy was measuring out where the bolts are in the concrete compared to the chalk line. Those thin pencil marks he uses is probably the coarsest they'll go, the joinery itself would've been marked with a knife because you can't get pencils marks accurate enough.
👏🏼🌳🏠 The craftsmanship and attention to detail in traditional Japanese construction is truly impressive. It's inspiring to see how the foundation beams, or Dodai, are carefully laid out and leveled to create a sturdy base for the building. It's a shame that we don't see more of this kind of precision and care in modern construction, especially in the US. This video serves as a reminder of the beauty and value of traditional building techniques.
This is really Hand crafting a building. Since my early youth, Japanese culture has fascinated me. Such a wealth of Knowledge and precision in application, working along with the forces of Nature. Thankyou for your videos.
You are such a brilliant teacher and film maker: really excellent, clear, concise explinations. I was already interested in the subject matter but your films really increase my interest, thank you.
thank you for explaining important matter. in the case of a Nuno-Kiso (布基礎)/Beta-Kiso (べた基礎), Dodai (土台) is bolted to the concrete foundation. in the case of a Ishiba-Date (石場建て), stone foundation will be Hikari-Tsuke (光付け).
In Tokyo I usually see a ~1-inch thick wide rubber gasket placed onto the ribs of the concrete foundation (instead of elm/keyaki pieces used in this video), and then the wood is bolted on top of that. As far as I understand, this is to allow the house to move/flex in an earthquake by relieving stress. It also forms a kind of seal to keep water out of the contact (although the underside of the house itself is ventilated with ports in the concrete foundation in order to prevent mold).
After watching a few of these videos I definitely want a Japanese carpenter to build my house no matter where it is. Attention to detail and craftsmanship is top shelf.
This reminds me of a builder I met in 2000 who was hired to come to Japan to train carpenters in western stick construction style. They also hired trainers in plumbing and HVAC in order to become more efficient.
OMG, hands down! This is such beautiful workmanship and technique. Super Cool! I've just finished building my first house in New Mexico. I designed and drafted the floor plan myself (it's not a Japanese style though, a simple minimalistic house), but during the building stage, I had to compromise on every single detail because my builder and contractors didn't closely follow the design, leading to all the details becoming so messy. As a Japanese, I was really disappointed by the lack of workmanship. But, I've learned the hard way. Watching your video has been incredibly thrilling for me. I'm planning to build an outdoor sauna using Japanese construction methods myself. Thank you for this video; I'm definitely going to watch more.
impressive, I love this kind of thing, and really love the attention to detail and how much work and effort is put into this level of construction. I am absolutely in love with Japanese wood working and the quality of workmanship that goes into all the fine details. Wooden structures built completely without metal nails standing for thousands of years.
How could you not feel good living in a home with so much perfection and attention to detail...I guess thats where it starts as a culture, perfect harmony from workers, no bitching about salary, stupid jokes about beers after work..just a meticulous pride from the cleanest job site I've ever seen to joinery that's an art form....no wonder the Japanese are such perfectionists.
if you ever decide to return the states, i can see you leading massive workshops teaching framers who have clients interested in this type of construction. this content is one of a kind
Ah, the life of a craftsman. I wouldn't change it for the world. Excellent video. Thank you so much for making the time to share these skills. I envy you a bit sometimes. I would love to work in Japan.
Foundation assembly was the first video I watched on your channel. Every part of the process is interesting and you do a great job going into all the relevant details. Hope you guys are having a nice weekend.
Love this type of construction and level of craftsmanship. I wish I could be working in construction in Japan some day. Thanks for your detailed explanation.
Absolutely amazing craftsmanship! The joinery is amazing and strong! Such an amazing concrete pour. Corners are so clean as is every square inch of the pour. The craftsmanship is jaw dropping. Thank you for sharing. From the province of Saskatchewan in Canada…have an awesome day🙂.
Thank you. Although I'm from Europe and usually I design stone homes, sometimes comes a house made from wood. It's totally different to what I see here and it's very interesting.
Very intwresting construction method. I hope to follow the entire build. Learning how the construction methods developed the way they are is fascinating.
Fantastic that you are doing this work as a daiku, you must be learning so much from your master, compared to western methods, the Japanese are miles ahead irt building with timber. Respect the tree, it gave its life for your craft.
I used similar construction technique when I built my 8x12 shed on six individual foundation piles. I cast threaded rod in concrete poured into the CMUs, held in place and vertical using styrofoam spacers, though scrap wood could have also worked. For termite-deterrence I capped the footers with sheet aluminum flashing, and spaced the girt and beams off of the concrete/cap using stacked stainless steel washers.
the cleanliness and the amount of air left under the house is astonishing to me as a wisconsinite. We have basements, and i often imagine building my house on a concrete slab (it is SO much more doable in any city here) but it was how he connected the bases, as that’s just pure genius.
The attention to detail of how the wood lines up with the anchor rods to make the frame perfectly flush to the edge of the slab is so nice. American construction companies would just let it be crooked with gaps and overlaps 😂.
If you think that American constructions are a bit messy you should come to the UK. The whole UK construction industry doesn't know the concept of a right angle.
Then you'd realize using concrete footers with engineered joists is stronger and faster than this method of building and use that like everyone else 😂😂
I would imagine that if this kind of joinery were code compliant, it would have to be CNC machined and assembled in a factory to keep costs to a minimum.
The thing I find most intriguing is the fact that in Japan they still cut allot "natural" wood connections. You had to layout all the beams and actually mark and cutout all those connections to fit. In Europe or America they would use metal bracing that gets nailed/screwed into the beams, which is allot faster with less labour.
Yet another thing done with impressive Japanese quality. It was very interesting to spend 3 weeks with my Japanese friends. Even the cast iron manhole covers had different scenes that varied from city to city. This house build is typical quality construction done with care & not banged out US style. The opposite occurred in SE Asia where house construction left a lot to be desired but done cheaply...
When I did a foundation, I drilled the beams for the anchors first then set them shimmed a little above the concrete with the top of the form. Then I'd lift the beam, press the "L" anchor in and shake it to about right and drop the beam on it an a temporary nut at the right height. Didn't measure anything but rough spacing and got a perfect fit.
When putting those anchor bolts in the concrete, you should use a little jig that sits on the formwork so they're all exactly in the middle and nicely plumb. Just a tip. You can reuse these jigs again and again.
I don't usually leave comments, but I just had to say thanks. I really love this type of video, it's really relaxing and instructing as well, the way you break down each step is really nice. Keep up the good work ! :)
This is beautiful craftsmanship, and interesting to understand the practical experience that led to this kind of design. Also, your filmmaking and explanations are great, it makes it so clear as to what is going on!
2:35 California building code also requires metal hold-downs. This Old House did a house in Silver Lake, and they highlighted just how crazily engineered houses have to be because of earthquakes (the Silver Lake house was particularly nuts because it was sitting at the bottom of a hill, the foundation looked like equal parts steel and concrete). 9:08 Here you see the use of wood keys or pegs that lock the joint in place without nails, bolts, or adhesives. We used to do that in the US... 250 years ago when timber framing was the norm. Nowadays we would be using a pneumatic nailer and butt joints because it's much faster and requires less training and experience.
Mindblowing! That's next-level carpentry. Looking at the architecture of the houses around the construction site, it's almost a shame that same attention to detail is not given to the plain walls and windows.
Those rods in concrete is something we use in Europe when doing the roof. Once you have the final wall done, you pour concrete horizontally on the long edges and have the rods sticking out the same way. A wooden beam goes on top of it the same way. Those beams will be the support and a spot to nail in the ends of the wooden boards which hold shingles. Very standard stuff over here in Europe..
Try lifting the beam onto the straight rods and tap with mallet for impression, (straight rods) set and leveled into the concrete when almost dried. Anyplace where wood meets the ground or concrete, the lumber must be pressure treated. For additional moisture protection, a gasket or strip of closed-cell foam can be installed between the concrete foundation and the sill plate. Some moisture barriers for this application combine a foam strip with a waterproofing membrane that covers the bottom of the plate as well as the joint between the foundation and the exterior of the wall assembly.
Holding my breath now to see those vertical pillars go in - I was spellbound - and it was a wrench to come back to the real (untidy) world when the video ended.
I don't know what this is called in English, but in Japanese, it's called 'beta kiso' It means Raft Foundation. "beta kiso" is a foundation where the entire surface under a building or facility machine is a flat concrete slab reinforced with steel plates. Compared to a strip foundation, the foundation's bottom area is larger, which helps to distribute the load, transmit it to the ground or slab, and increase durability and earthquake resistance against uneven sinking. However, it also incurs additional costs. It is mainly used for heavy buildings or when the ground bearing capacity is low, and piles can be added as necessary. Since the entire floor surface is made of reinforced concrete, it also serves as a moisture-proof measure. Traditionally, it has been used for prefab houses and two-by-four houses, but since the late 1990s, it has also been used for wooden post-and-beam construction due to the moisture-proof advantages." There is a comment that says wood and concrete may deteriorate over time, but to prevent this, painting is applied to the foundation and wood is treated with chemicals.
It's beautiful workmanship. Truly it is. I can't help thinking its a bit over-the-top though given that steel exists and can do some of these things very well. However the joinery is an absolute joy to look at so that has a value all its own.
For people wondering about lubricating the pegs, at least in European construction, they are always slightly oversized. I suspect the same here. I don't make oversized pegs myself, I use tapered pins in small projects, not what you'd do in a house, only one end makes contact. Fine for a box. It is a tool consideration as well. Their one chisel is designed to square a pilot hole and you could pound wood into a grid of blades kinda jig and square pegs just pop out the other side.
Given how the slab and concrete foundation form compartment like areas will there be a lift up hatch in the floor giving access for the storage or pickled jars of vegetables and root vegetables as I have seen in older traditional Japanese houses? The concrete work and wood beams are superb and a pleasure to see. There is no doubt what masters the carpenters and cabinet makers are in Japan. You are in an envious position learning traditional joints and building methods.
Wow that integrated washer/nut is super cool. I didn’t know those existed (of course, we don’t have cool stuff like that in the States). Such nice work and craftsmanship.
I've never seen such a clean construction site before.
Because they are more like artists not workers.
Not to mention quiet...
Because otherwise the neightbours will complain :)
More than likely because it is about quality and not about quantity. If you can find a quality construction company here in the states, their worksite is also impeccable. Hard to find but they exist.
Was just thinking that
It's really awesome to have a native English speaker and professional Japanese carpenter do thiels kind of content. Thank you! Hope you keep going.
At 06:54 I saw a guy wearing a vest with a fan on it.
The only time you see this kind of detail in a structure in the US is when a timber frame carpenter builds their own house. It’s really beautiful.
In the US its called economics. In Japan its called earthquakes. Fricken cynical bum.
Not nearly as earthquake proof as North American standards. During the Kobe Quake there was a subdivision built to British Columbia standards and all those building got were some cracked plaster but the Japanese post and beam construction all fell down.
Stupidity at its best, simple is better. Thats why these people live in small cage like houses probably a normal house costs a fortune with these building techniques
well my old teacher/boss forced us to 1/16 inch for general and ZERO for staircases, he was a Master Carpenter with around 35plus years in framing, rough and finish carpentry.
@@johnarnold893 That's interesting because B.C standards are fairly low in some areas. We just went up a level this year.
I'm impressed by the concrete work. Never seen such perfection of angles and finish on a foundation.
To be fair the foundation walls are only 20 inches tall.
gotta build these houses to withstand tsunami and earthquakes. The japanese don't play around, and understandably so.
@@ryanmolloy5421
earth quakes yes.
The seperation from the concrete creates room for vibrations to spread and flatten out.
Tsunamis not so much.
There isn't really much you can do against a strong water current.
The foundation showcased in this video will likely survive but the dovetails won't hold the pillars even with support beams. The pillars will fold down collapsing the house. But luckily wooden houses aren't that costly to rebuild especially on an existing strong foundation.
@@redcrafterlppa303 I meant more like just high water. You are right nothing will withstand a torrent of water.
@@ryanmolloy5421 yeah, but I suspect after flooded once it will be a hard battle against moisture and mold.
Just wanted to let you know as a Japanese dude, I've learned a lot from your video. I applaud you for getting into these industries infamous for the rigid traditional ways and your boss for the flexibility in accepting you as an apprentice.
Are Japanese construction sites as clean as this s common and expected thing?
@@drwombatThis site looks so clean that it almost looks bare. However, the Japanese construction sites especially the residential homes tend to be very clean because homeowners often come check on the progress and begin introducing themselves to the neighbors. They usually go around before the construction begins to apologize for the noise and inconvenience. Give some gifts. So what the contractors do are seen as the homeowner's behavior. The contractors know this so they are usually very good about keeping the site clean.
On the other hand, larger commercial buildings tend to be more catered and less well-kept based on my casual observation.
@@211teitake oh wow this is VERY insightful
I'd love to see how that foundation was poured. A variation of only 5mm in height is impressive.
I know absolutely nothing, but it kind of looks like prefab concrete blocks? The edge corners seem to be all one piece as well.
They pour the slab first, then use reusable forms to do the stem walls. So the slab is probably pretty close and then with the forms they can get it just about perfect
It is not hard to do you just need competent people and a theodolite or similar.
@@ismu34
Exactly. My house was built using 2x4 techniques but the foundation was of standard Japanese design. I wanted to have a hole running through the foundation so before it was poured I cut a section of PVC pipe and forced it between the inner and outer walls.
This is not the ‘standard’ house, is it? The foundation is, but this type of post and beam is usually only found in more expensive houses.
Note: Just watched the first part again. Those are hinoki beams? Very expensive wood so definitely not a standard house.
I love seeing the modern construction materials blended with the traditional proven carpentry and joint cuts. You guys do great work.
The wood material itself is already a work of art. Nicely done!!! 👍👍
the craftsmenship and precision is unmatched compared to other countries, shows also alot of respect for the client
not really. they are building a disposable house that will have no value within 20 years. Japanese homes aren't a store of value like in the US.
Also respect for the wood.
Having began my adult life building houses and now in IT here in the US, I can say with authority that my crew would have screwed up the hold down fastener itself from step one, and it would have gone downhill from there. That was 40 yrs ago when we had apprentices, so it terrifies me how bad it is today. I am impressed on so many levels- starting at the formwork/finish for the concrete- stunning!
Japanese carpentry is amazing. So much precision and care goes into every part of the frame. Unlike Australia where dozens of errors are fixed with extra nails or an offcut or not at all.
😀😀👍 ты ещё не видел как в России строят
New Zealand sucks in comparison too
This is one of the most satisfying videos I think I've ever watched. I think you have to have done a little bit of building to understand just how difficult it is to get all of the pieces of this project to fit together so smoothly. The concrete foundation has to be poured to such tight tolerances, the curing and milling of those wood beams has to be done so perfectly, the measuring of the bolt locations has to be literally perfect, the hand drilling of the bolt holes has to be spot on along perfect along two axes, and the joints have to be cut so, so precisely... I mean, just looking at those toshibashira joints waiting to receive the corner posts makes me break out in a sweat, I would never attempt anything like that because my cuts would be slightly off and the post wouldn't fit. So freaking impressive.
I think a lot of people are intimidated by these apparent challenges, however, there are methods to achieve the needed precision and it may not be as difficult as one might think after a little practice. It is worth giving it a try...of course, beginning with a smaller project and some practice joints. Just be sure your chisels are sharp!
You know what they say - measure twice cut once. Unfortunately, that implies people know how to use a tape measure correctly. That often doesn't seem to be the case.
Change the title to "American carpenter en Japan" and will increase to 7 millions of viewers in two weeks! A job well done! congrats!
Thank you.
丁寧で綺麗な仕事をする大工さんたちだなあ。日本の大工さんでもこういう建前が出来る大工さんはどんどん減っているので貴重です。
Very impressed by the precision I see here. Wish American builders routinely took this level of pride in their work.
Well it's really not like that. American builders need to build at-scale and volumes different than Japanese construction crews for homes. Americans are quite skilled and smart.
I agree. Every american expects a single family house and a car. This scale is not possible nor sustainable for other places. Often housing developments are built hundreds of houses at a time. I imagine the house in the video is for a wealthy individual?
We never get the time for fussy precision when building in the USA.
@@e4d578 Skilled & Smart? sure but the main comment talk also about "pride" , now compare the Japanese & American culture then talk about "pride" at work, Enlighten me with your knowledge .
@@libby2979 My first job was with Japanese construction. I think many Americans have just as much pride but also need to consider volume, so some things matter and some don't.
The joinery really caught my eye, and the care taken in marking and drilling the anchor bolt holes for what appears to be sill plates is just fascinating to me. Artisan joinery requires very accurate measurement, marking and experienced craftsmanship all of which I witnessed in this video. Learned something about chestnut which I didn't know. Outstanding work. I am glad I found this video.
We been to a construction site a few years ago, where many of 'us' constructors felt it was way over complicated and rather slow paced (just doing the foundation can easy take up days, we wrap it up in max a day), the sheer accuracy is basicly mesmerizing. The entire process from concrete pooring (plus groundwork) to the skeleton structure is all measured down to milimeters, no wiggle, no slack, it fits insanely tight. Though we mostly build fully concrete (walls, foundation) wich have a huge margin due to hardening, their buildprocess is considerable longer (we done tops 12 months, often less, where avarage japanse house can go 1-1,5 years), it really is a quality over quantity story. I hope to visit US sites this or next year, we in Europe just have a complete different material/construction approuch that such insane accurate measurements are just 'brushed away' with some extra drywalls and we accept nothing is perfect (they showed us a room that was to the mm 420x420mm, where ours done often vary upto 1-3cm each side).
It opens my heart to see the value put in the work and the product. Respect to japan people from Germany!
than you for sharing. I ve watched multiple times and enjoy every time. I want to come work for you
12:30 WOW! That has to be a mountain of maths to get all that to meet up properly in the end! I've built a LOT of modular structures with similar connections before and I've NEVER put all the pieces in place and locked down BEFORE the connecter that joins them. Wow! Intense respect for doing this this way...the precision coordination required across multiple people or even whole crews to do this like this is astounding to me. We have a hard time here just finding someone to clear trash in a proper manner...wow.
Actually you try to avoid doing math as much as possible. It's more a matter of getting the measurements right, and copying your measurements from one piece to another so that if you're off by a tiny bit at least you're off by the exact same amount everywhere so everything will still fit. That's why the guy was measuring out where the bolts are in the concrete compared to the chalk line. Those thin pencil marks he uses is probably the coarsest they'll go, the joinery itself would've been marked with a knife because you can't get pencils marks accurate enough.
A high IQ population is always desirable. Japan should NOT immigrate low IQ foreigners. Dumb people cannot do complexity.
👏🏼🌳🏠 The craftsmanship and attention to detail in traditional Japanese construction is truly impressive. It's inspiring to see how the foundation beams, or Dodai, are carefully laid out and leveled to create a sturdy base for the building. It's a shame that we don't see more of this kind of precision and care in modern construction, especially in the US. This video serves as a reminder of the beauty and value of traditional building techniques.
This is really Hand crafting a building. Since my early youth, Japanese culture has fascinated me. Such a wealth of Knowledge and precision in application, working along with the forces of Nature. Thankyou for your videos.
"Measure twice, cut once" doesn't make enought justice to your work guys. Beautifull carpentry!
Thank you for documenting and sharing your hands on experiences; truly enjoyed learning Japanese home building joinery techniques
You are such a brilliant teacher and film maker: really excellent, clear, concise explinations. I was already interested in the subject matter but your films really increase my interest, thank you.
thank you for explaining important matter.
in the case of a Nuno-Kiso (布基礎)/Beta-Kiso (べた基礎), Dodai (土台) is bolted to the concrete foundation.
in the case of a Ishiba-Date (石場建て), stone foundation will be Hikari-Tsuke (光付け).
This is cabinetry level carpentry on a house foundation, amazing!
its insane how straight you drill with such long drill bits
Getting it _started_ is the trick!
maybe not made in china
Once you get used to it, it's not that hard.. you kind of have like an internal level which allows you to drill straight using sight alone..
In Tokyo I usually see a ~1-inch thick wide rubber gasket placed onto the ribs of the concrete foundation (instead of elm/keyaki pieces used in this video), and then the wood is bolted on top of that. As far as I understand, this is to allow the house to move/flex in an earthquake by relieving stress. It also forms a kind of seal to keep water out of the contact (although the underside of the house itself is ventilated with ports in the concrete foundation in order to prevent mold).
After watching a few of these videos I definitely want a Japanese carpenter to build my house no matter where it is. Attention to detail and craftsmanship is top shelf.
This reminds me of a builder I met in 2000 who was hired to come to Japan to train carpenters in western stick construction style. They also hired trainers in plumbing and HVAC in order to become more efficient.
REALLY great info, and vid and craftsmanship, interesting mix of modern and traditional, and little western with Japanese. Really cool bro
Japanese wood work is another lvl. New favorite channel.
Really cool video. Japanese carpentry has always mistified me and the way everything just fits together. Wonderful stuff.
OMG, hands down! This is such beautiful workmanship and technique. Super Cool! I've just finished building my first house in New Mexico. I designed and drafted the floor plan myself (it's not a Japanese style though, a simple minimalistic house), but during the building stage, I had to compromise on every single detail because my builder and contractors didn't closely follow the design, leading to all the details becoming so messy. As a Japanese, I was really disappointed by the lack of workmanship. But, I've learned the hard way. Watching your video has been incredibly thrilling for me. I'm planning to build an outdoor sauna using Japanese construction methods myself. Thank you for this video; I'm definitely going to watch more.
Japanese house construction is really an art.
Lived in Japan for 7 years I always watched them build it’s fascinating!
impressive, I love this kind of thing, and really love the attention to detail and how much work and effort is put into this level of construction. I am absolutely in love with Japanese wood working and the quality of workmanship that goes into all the fine details. Wooden structures built completely without metal nails standing for thousands of years.
Its So satisfying to see the japanese construction culture
How could you not feel good living in a home with so much perfection and attention to detail...I guess thats where it starts as a culture, perfect harmony from workers, no bitching about salary, stupid jokes about beers after work..just a meticulous pride from the cleanest job site I've ever seen to joinery that's an art form....no wonder the Japanese are such perfectionists.
Absolutely incredible precision and pride in that foundation
大工仕事より基礎に目が行ってしまう、今まで見たことが無い正確できれいな基礎です
Listen to how quiet and soothing this construction site is!
Such beautiful attention to detail and precision. It's just an absolute pleasure to see such craftsmanship!
@Phillip Banes Stop trolling man
My OCD loves it, all so neat, accurate, clean ….. beautiful 😍
if you ever decide to return the states, i can see you leading massive workshops teaching framers who have clients interested in this type of construction. this content is one of a kind
Ah, the life of a craftsman. I wouldn't change it for the world. Excellent video. Thank you so much for making the time to share these skills. I envy you a bit sometimes. I would love to work in Japan.
Would you? They would love to have apprentices. It's hard, long hours for quite little pay though. I can even hook you up with one.
Truly a perfectionist's paradise.
Foundation assembly was the first video I watched on your channel. Every part of the process is interesting and you do a great job going into all the relevant details. Hope you guys are having a nice weekend.
The building precision is insane!
Wow, amazing detail and craftsmanship for house framing.
Love this type of construction and level of craftsmanship. I wish I could be working in construction in Japan some day. Thanks for your detailed explanation.
Absolutely amazing craftsmanship! The joinery is amazing and strong! Such an amazing concrete pour. Corners are so clean as is every square inch of the pour. The craftsmanship is jaw dropping. Thank you for sharing. From the province of Saskatchewan in Canada…have an awesome day🙂.
Thank you. Although I'm from Europe and usually I design stone homes, sometimes comes a house made from wood. It's totally different to what I see here and it's very interesting.
Very intwresting construction method. I hope to follow the entire build. Learning how the construction methods developed the way they are is fascinating.
Fantastic that you are doing this work as a daiku, you must be learning so much from your master, compared to western methods, the Japanese are miles ahead irt building with timber. Respect the tree, it gave its life for your craft.
I used similar construction technique when I built my 8x12 shed on six individual foundation piles. I cast threaded rod in concrete poured into the CMUs, held in place and vertical using styrofoam spacers, though scrap wood could have also worked. For termite-deterrence I capped the footers with sheet aluminum flashing, and spaced the girt and beams off of the concrete/cap using stacked stainless steel washers.
Incredible that houses are built with such precision.
It's not construction mate. It's ART!! :) Just found Your chanel, so i've got a lot to watch
the cleanliness and the amount of air left under the house is astonishing to me as a wisconsinite. We have basements, and i often imagine building my house on a concrete slab (it is SO much more doable in any city here) but it was how he connected the bases, as that’s just pure genius.
when he started explaining the joints, i had to rewatch that SEVERAL times. that is incredibly genius work.
i’m about to learn some japanese from watching all of his videos, too
The attention to detail of how the wood lines up with the anchor rods to make the frame perfectly flush to the edge of the slab is so nice. American construction companies would just let it be crooked with gaps and overlaps 😂.
If you think that American constructions are a bit messy you should come to the UK. The whole UK construction industry doesn't know the concept of a right angle.
@@kwidzius Wait untill you see brazillian construction companies.
This is an amazing technique with such respect for precision. I love it.
This makes me want to design a new type of foundation for an adaptation to new American style materials. SO much craftsmanship in this.
Then you'd realize using concrete footers with engineered joists is stronger and faster than this method of building and use that like everyone else 😂😂
I would imagine that if this kind of joinery were code compliant, it would have to be CNC machined and assembled in a factory to keep costs to a minimum.
@@nick21614 Is the Japanese technique more earthquake resistant maybe?
@@__K__B__ Nope
Very impressive the time and detail put into it! Keep up the great work!
The thing I find most intriguing is the fact that in Japan they still cut allot "natural" wood connections. You had to layout all the beams and actually mark and cutout all those connections to fit. In Europe or America they would use metal bracing that gets nailed/screwed into the beams, which is allot faster with less labour.
The concrete has an impressive finish. so smooth!
Absolutely astounding. Been doing foundations for years.... What you are putting in the mudsill would be fine finish carpentry anywhere in America.
Very impressive to see the techniques from different building styles.
Very cool to see this in contrast to what we do in the US, thanks for the effort.
Yet another thing done with impressive Japanese quality. It was very interesting to spend 3 weeks with my Japanese friends. Even the cast iron manhole covers had different scenes that varied from city to city. This house build is typical quality construction done with care & not banged out US style. The opposite occurred in SE Asia where house construction left a lot to be desired but done cheaply...
When I did a foundation, I drilled the beams for the anchors first then set them shimmed a little above the concrete with the top of the form. Then I'd lift the beam, press the "L" anchor in and shake it to about right and drop the beam on it an a temporary nut at the right height.
Didn't measure anything but rough spacing and got a perfect fit.
I should see that video before I build my house. Incredible .
When putting those anchor bolts in the concrete, you should use a little jig that sits on the formwork so they're all exactly in the middle and nicely plumb. Just a tip. You can reuse these jigs again and again.
I would like to add that jigs like that are incredibly easy and inexpensive to make.
I don't usually leave comments, but I just had to say thanks.
I really love this type of video, it's really relaxing and instructing as well, the way you break down each step is really nice.
Keep up the good work ! :)
Thank you!
Very interesting and informative video, explained it clearly and simply. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Such interesting methods. Love learning new ways of constructing things.
Very interesting. Clean simple and well explained. Thank you
Subscribed.Great introduction! Love this かっこいい外人の職人さん！❤
I can't thank you enough for the info of your videos. I have been eager to learn japanese carpentry and this is just amazing
everything looks extremely clean
This is beautiful craftsmanship, and interesting to understand the practical experience that led to this kind of design. Also, your filmmaking and explanations are great, it makes it so clear as to what is going on!
It’s beautiful extremely complex and explains why Japan has a housing problem and why they consume so many resources
This video highlights my inferior house build. Fascinating to watch.
2:35 California building code also requires metal hold-downs. This Old House did a house in Silver Lake, and they highlighted just how crazily engineered houses have to be because of earthquakes (the Silver Lake house was particularly nuts because it was sitting at the bottom of a hill, the foundation looked like equal parts steel and concrete).
9:08 Here you see the use of wood keys or pegs that lock the joint in place without nails, bolts, or adhesives. We used to do that in the US... 250 years ago when timber framing was the norm. Nowadays we would be using a pneumatic nailer and butt joints because it's much faster and requires less training and experience.
and untreated wood contacting concrete wouldn't fly either.
That job site and foundation looks like a work of art compared to the garbage I'm used to. So much respect for Japanese culture and quality.
Mindblowing! That's next-level carpentry. Looking at the architecture of the houses around the construction site, it's almost a shame that same attention to detail is not given to the plain walls and windows.
Those rods in concrete is something we use in Europe when doing the roof.
Once you have the final wall done, you pour concrete horizontally on the long edges and have the rods sticking out the same way. A wooden beam goes on top of it the same way. Those beams will be the support and a spot to nail in the ends of the wooden boards which hold shingles.
Very standard stuff over here in Europe..
NICE, clean work, perfection, lots of pride.
Try lifting the beam onto the straight rods and tap with mallet for impression,
(straight rods) set and leveled into the concrete when almost dried.
Anyplace where wood meets the ground or concrete, the lumber must be pressure treated. For additional moisture protection, a gasket or strip of closed-cell foam can be installed between the concrete foundation and the sill plate. Some moisture barriers for this application combine a foam strip with a waterproofing membrane that covers the bottom of the plate as well as the joint between the foundation and the exterior of the wall assembly.
He mentioned they used shims, I'm surprised they are using relatively soft wood for bearers, it's always hardwood here in Australia.
Holding my breath now to see those vertical pillars go in - I was spellbound - and it was a wrench to come back to the real (untidy) world when the video ended.
I don't know what this is called in English, but in Japanese, it's called 'beta kiso' It means Raft Foundation.
"beta kiso" is a foundation where the entire surface under a building or facility machine is a flat concrete slab reinforced with steel plates. Compared to a strip foundation, the foundation's bottom area is larger, which helps to distribute the load, transmit it to the ground or slab, and increase durability and earthquake resistance against uneven sinking. However, it also incurs additional costs. It is mainly used for heavy buildings or when the ground bearing capacity is low, and piles can be added as necessary. Since the entire floor surface is made of reinforced concrete, it also serves as a moisture-proof measure.
Traditionally, it has been used for prefab houses and two-by-four houses, but since the late 1990s, it has also been used for wooden post-and-beam construction due to the moisture-proof advantages."
There is a comment that says wood and concrete may deteriorate over time, but to prevent this, painting is applied to the foundation and wood is treated with chemicals.
Huh
Thanks for the info
what a wonderful world of possibilities presents itself when you construct with millimeters instead of inches.
It's beautiful workmanship. Truly it is. I can't help thinking its a bit over-the-top though given that steel exists and can do some of these things very well. However the joinery is an absolute joy to look at so that has a value all its own.
I have never seen such a clean concrete base… also first time I have seen someone wearing a fan vest I wonder if that’s comfortable ?
This is so pure and so amazing.
Dude smacking the chestnut shims with the ridiculous cooling fan vest has probably made coat hangars nicer than anything I have or will make
For people wondering about lubricating the pegs, at least in European construction, they are always slightly oversized. I suspect the same here.
I don't make oversized pegs myself, I use tapered pins in small projects, not what you'd do in a house, only one end makes contact. Fine for a box.
It is a tool consideration as well. Their one chisel is designed to square a pilot hole and you could pound wood into a grid of blades kinda jig and square pegs just pop out the other side.
Given how the slab and concrete foundation form compartment like areas will there be a lift up hatch in the floor giving access for the storage or pickled jars of vegetables and root vegetables as I have seen in older traditional Japanese houses? The concrete work and wood beams are superb and a pleasure to see. There is no doubt what masters the carpenters and cabinet makers are in Japan. You are in an envious position learning traditional joints and building methods.
Wow that integrated washer/nut is super cool. I didn’t know those existed (of course, we don’t have cool stuff like that in the States).
Such nice work and craftsmanship.
I love that traditional housebuilding techniques are still in use in Japan
That's how I bolt down my cabin to the concrete pillars
Well I'm pleased to learn that's the Japanese way