A Note from Takayama: Why I Write About Japanese Tools
I live in Hida, where tools, wood, old houses, and craft feel close to everyday life.
Over time, I came to see Japanese tools as more than practical objects. They carry ways of working, caring, and paying attention.
That is why I started Japan Tool Journey.
This site is a place where I share Japanese tools, craftsmanship, and the stories around them — but it is also part of my own learning. As I write, I am learning more about the tools themselves, the culture behind them, and the values they carry.
I hope this can be a place to explore Japanese tools with a little more context, curiosity, and care.
About Japan Tool Journey
Life is, in a way, a way of passing time. Most days look familiar. And yet, from the tools in our hands, we can set out into another world. A different way of doing opens up a different way of seeing. Tools are affordances. Japan Tool Journey is rooted in
Kohei Takekawa
