Anyway, I am OK, thanks again for your kindness.

Junji

It’s really exciting for me to see my projects on the paper.

送信者 For Blog

You can read the article here at the paper’s site.

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/kobe/0003102800.shtml
Oops, only if you can read Japanese…

Ah, or you can try the technology.
Web translator…
http://www.excite-webtl.jp/world/english/web/?wburl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobe-np.co.jp%2Fnews%2Fkobe%2F0003102800.shtml&wblp=JAEN&wbdis=3&wbsubmit=+%96%7C+%96%F3++

送信者 For Blog

I don’t know yet what happens here, but in anyway, I am looking forward to meeting many artists and non-artist, and to hearing what people think about my projects. Also this is my first attempt to sell my projects, so it will be a good test what can be sold, what are not, how much it should be, or what change I need.

I will be singing on Sunday in this same event, as a musician this time, and I will be there all day then, so it will be a great day. (Does anybody happen to come to Kobe this week?)

Thanks for stopping by.

Junji

**
神戸／塩屋で開催のグループ展「不思議なお部屋展２」は本日初日！
朝から搬入してきました。といってもこんな体ですから、自分では何もできず、人に頼りっぱなしになってしまいました。
本当にたくさんの作家の方々がところ狭しと作品を出品されておりまして、我が「TONERI工房」はメインの２部屋のうち、一部屋のど真ん中を頂きまして、こんな感じでまとまりました。。。

限られたスペースの中ですので、ちょっとばかりきゅっとつまっておりますが、なかなかウッディな雰囲気を醸し出しているのではないでしょうか。他にも陶芸や絵画、お花にアクセサリー、本当にたくさんの人々の「思い」が溢れているような不思議なお部屋です。僕自身はなるべく準備をしている人たちのお邪魔にならないようにと、動き回らないように心がけていたので、まだあまり見られてませんが、２０日には時間もあるでしょうから、じっくりと見て回りたいな、と思ってます。

今日の搬入、結構心配な部分も多かったのですが、会場に着くなり、とある作家さんとそのご両親にすっかり手伝っていただきまして、本当に助かりました。ありがとうございました。

このグループ展は本日、１７日より２１日（月）まで開催されておりまして、もちろん入場は無料。２０日には大々的にイベントを企画されておりまして、その中で僕もこちらは演奏で出演させていただきます。僕の出番は２時頃の予定。こちらも入場は無料ですので、ぜひお誘い合わせの上、ご来場ください。

I should have posted this blog sooner, but I was away from home these days for a concert in Imabari, Ehime, that in Shikoku island, and we went to stay in a cozy Ryokan (Inn) called “Oyabu-onsen” after the concert, spent a night there.
Anyway, it’s really deep in the mountains and the room we had dinner was really nice.

From For Blog

From For Blog

Mmmm, the fire place is called “Irori”, where you can cook, you can use it as stove also. Irori is one of my dreams in the future! But you have to have one of “traditional Japanese houses” to have irori room.

This is what I have done.

From For Blog

We call this, Katsuobishi,(鰹節 or かつおぶし?) which is the Japanese name for a preparation of dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito).
Katsuobushi is one of the most important food in Japanese food, we mainly use this as ingredients of dashi, a broth that forms the basis of many soups.
Nowadays we can get processed shaved Katsuobushi at any store around, but in this way, the smell of katsuobushi is much much richer. They said the meat of the fish originally 6 times bigger than what we get as katsuobishi, but after months of process of drying, it’s really hard, and it’s said Katsuobushi is the hardest food in the world. It is covered with mold, so it’s just like cheese. And of course it lasts so long.

Well, it seems like there is nothing to do with woodworking, but the blade part is just like wood plane, and thought it would be really interesting for you guys….
So who wants to try our Japanese food tonight? Just knock our door!

Thanks for stopping by.

Katsuobushi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If somebody want to buy… MAybe they can send it outside of Japan…
Rakuten Search term, Katsuobushi-kezuri.

Do you know what this is?

From For Blog

From For Blog

The other day, I found this on sale only for 300 yen, which is about $3, so I asked to the guy at the shop, and he said this was the only one left there. Anyway, I bought it, because I wanted it for a long time, but I have never seen it selling except at some internet shop. This should have costed me more than 1500 or 2000 yen. But this one was CHEAP!
This is an old Japanese tool, but nowadays, nobody is using it. It’s a box and a plainer, but it is used only for one thing.

This is how you use it. What I am holding is “the thing”. I had to buy it at different store, which is really really hard to find it and costed 2500 yen! Wow.

From For Blog

You hold this and just sharp it. It has something to do with one of the Japanese cultures, but as I have told you, nowadays, nobody uses it because we can buy something already processed at any shop around so easily. But as you also can guess what you have processed is much better than what you get at stores.

Clue
1) I was asked to make this by somebody, I myself don’t need this at all.
2) The last photo shows the case of the thing. Meaning it will be carried around by the parson who asked this.
3) There is no moving part, really simple structure, but really important for the person who asked this.
It was really hard to find any source about this even with internet.

I will post this project to “projects” tomorrow or the day after, and you will see how it is used by a photo.

From woodworking

From woodworking

From woodworking

From woodworking

So this is the new years day, and it’s is just like Xmas in USA, family get together and eat/drink…. New years days are Japanese traditional holidays, there are lots of customs, how to decorate our house, how to say “Happy new year”, how to exchange post cards and so on.
And one of the exciting part is the food. We call it Osechi-Ryori. We cook the food on New years eve, and it supposed to last 3 days so the housewives don’t have to work around the house in new years days.

I am at my wife’s parents house and this is how it was in the morning.

From For Blog

From For Blog

We are going to my parents house in Kyoto tomorrow, and will enjoy another version of Osechi-Ryori there too.
Oh I like New Years days!!!

First I went to Geku, it was only 15 minutes walk from the hotel I stayed, so I went there after breakfast before I left there for the concert.

From For Blog

This is at the entrance, and you wash your hands.

From For Blog

Some of you like these lights???

From For Blog

The main place of Geku.




And here are some photos of Old town Ise.

From For Blog

This is Tatami mat store, but I am not sure if they even open the store?!?

From For Blog

From For Blog

And this is a bicycle shop.

From For Blog

Oyster bar.




After the rehearsal I went to the other shrine, Naiku, the bigger one.
I never thought there were such many people coming and visiting that shrine, but I am now sure this is one of the most famous shrine in Japan!

From For Blog

the front approach to Ise Shrine, Naiku.

From For Blog

One of the oldest sweet shop in Ise, Akafuku.

From For Blog

From For Blog

And this is the Main place where you pray!




I believe many foreigner come and visit Kyoto or Tokyo, but Ise may be another nice place to visit. (But it’s a bit far from anywhere…)

Anyway, here is the next step of the music stand.
I made the “neck” pat, which should be adjustable.

From woodworking

From woodworking

From woodworking

I hope the photos will do good enough, much better than my poor English…

Here are some points I want to challenge.

1) need to be adjustable, both height and tilt.
2) need to be folded or be compact when it needs to be
3) want it to be unique!

So for the “desk” part, I choose curved cherry.

From woodworking

From woodworking

Mmmmm, there were so many holes!!! Oh well, it’s “natural” in a way, so I decided to use some of them, and out the together,

From woodworking

and the upside-down T shape thing is the main leg, processed only half way.

I am thinking about the plan for the next year.
I wanna do some lives/gigs with my woodworking exhibition at the same time, same place, so for that, I need some musical projects! Starting with “Guitar Stands”.

This is only half way through, but…

From woodworking

So now I think I need some music stands and stools to sit at the stage and maybe some guitar peg winders. And I can bring some other projects I have made so far, like clocks, scotch tape dispenser, toys, rings and other stuff. Do you have any more suggestion for me to make if I do the woodworking exhibition/ acoustic live?

And I finally decided to put extra support legs in front. Firstly because it was not steady enough for kids chair anyway ,and secondly I wanted to fix a warp with it. And it worked just fine. I don’t know how it looks with and without it yet, but it’s much steady that way.

From woodworking

Now I brought it to my son’s room and check the actual size of the chair with the desk. Hey, it looks just fine.

From woodworking

So now, I have to make the back. And little bit of adjustment of the warp. Maybe 2 more days???

The bed was done a while ago, and she has been sleeping there, but I just thought it would be a good idea to take some shots on her birthday sleeping there.

From woodworking

There has been no problem with the bed, and the cracking just stopped after I put this bed in the bedroom.

There is nothing special about this photo, but for me, this is one of the biggest reason to be here in the world.

From what I have done by the day before, I figured out the feet are too wide, and it make the whole thing like “Gigantic Robot”, so I made them thin. And to keep the two feet in the right position, I decided to use some sticks between. Put 5 of them all not close to the front and back, because I didn’t want people to stand on it.
Made some “ass shape” of the seat, used router at first, then chisels and Random Orbital Sander.

Made some more round sticks for the back, I first thought I need 6 of them, but maybe 4 is good enough.

Now I just put them together and sit there for a try.

Mmm, maybe this is much stronger and stable than I thought. As a big man like me sitting there, it moves a little bit to back and forth. But my kids are not heavy like me now, so I think I can just go without the support legs for now. Maybe I can add it later when my son grows up.

OK, here are some photos.

From woodworking

From woodworking

From woodworking

From woodworking

But I started, and that was the original idea…

Mortise and tenon are different from what I usually do, but it’s got to be good and tight one, need to make it strong. For mortises, it was an easy part. Just cut squares out from the seat. Made them 20 mm width.
Then I drew a line 460 mm away from a side on my workbench (which is the actual hight ofd the seat), then I put one leg fitting the bottom to the side. Then made straight slit with router using the line I drew, make it the same as the depth of the seat.

Didn’t have much time, so this is what I could have done on Day 3.

From woodworking

I have been thinking about this ever since I started this while project, but the other day somebody here is LJ introduced me the projects of Nakashima, so I decided to go with that taste. (thank you Todd and one.hit.wonder)

So here is the plan, kind of easy one as always.

From woodworking

I am not sure about the extra support legs, I know it will be much cooler without them, but I have to make it strong, so I will see when I make it without it first.

And just started work in the shop.
On the first day, peeled off the skin of cherry log, which will be the main 2 legs. And glued 2 pieces for the seat.

And 2nd day, made some pieces, tenons and mortise. I chose to use cherry logs for the legs, but it’s just tricky, because they are not straight. It took me a while to figure out to decide which way to use them.

From woodworking

From woodworking

From woodworking

The hardest part for this particular chair is, the width. I have only 36cm (14inches) space to put this chair in the desk space. It’s a bit skinny for a chair, but I have to do that!

From woodworking

Actually this house was moved to here from the original place when they built a dam around here, but it’s just amazing that a house lasts 1000 years. And this house is not only so old, but also really huge. The guy Hakogi must have been one of the richest man at that time.

This is how it is inside of the house (half of it), the other half where I was standnig called Doma, a floor of compacted earth.

Here you can see Doma.

And this is how you see the roof from inside.

and the mortise and tenon joint.

They said the wooden floor were really rare that time, because wooden board were expensive stuff then.

Here is a photo of the house and the kids.

you see the girl with blue bag is almost the same hight as the entrance? She is only 9 years old, so the hight of the roof bottom is like 5 feet, I needed to bend a lot to come in.

I just didn’t know that the oldest house was in Kobe, just so close.
The fact that this house lasted that long is surprisingly amazing. There are no electrical tools, and even metal was expensive. There are still a lot to learn or steal from the old carpenters wisdom.

From woodworking

9 chisels set from 3mm to 36mm, (0.1 inch to 1.4 inch) the guy said it was used by a professional carpenter, and yes, as far as I used it, they are good. (the point is I have never used good chisels before)

In Japanese chisels, planers or other hand tools, good one has the name of the maker, just like this.

From woodworking

I don’t know which name is famous or good at all, so doesn’t mean much, but at least better than “no name” ones.

The most “good” part of this was the way it was sharpen. I think they were sharpen by the original owner or the seller, he said he is a carpenter too, but they cut! I have never been able to sharpen mine that sharp with waterstones. They are just like razors, you can shave your hair of your arm. Now I am so much sure that I have lots and lots to learn about sharpening.

From woodworking

I think it’s really worth 5000 yen ($50) to spend, and good start of chisel set.
If anybody interested, you can click here. ””Yahoo auction category Chisels.
But you have to read Japanese!!! Ha ha!

No,no. If you really are interested, I can help you reading it.

This is not actually “project”, maybe, so I just writing it in here.
My house, as a typical size of Japanese house” is small, some of you may be really surprised how small this is if you actually see it!
Ever since we moved to this house, I had been wondering how it is like the space between the 2nd floor ceiling and the roof. “There must be some space, there must be space” I had been saying it to myself, but just didn’t have time to check it. If this could turned to our extra storage space, it would be really nice!

The other day, I finally found out. Yes, I cut the ceiling of small closet of my room (I checked if there is no beams before do so), and put my head in there.

What I found there was…
Not money, not a treasure map, not a dead rat, but just low open space!

So I build a ladder,

From woodworking

Put “ceiling check window”(I don’t know what you call in English, but it’s just a square aluminum frame),

From woodworking

then put beams and joists, and plywood as temporary floorboard.

From woodworking

From woodworking

(sorry can’t take photos to show you the entire space, because it’s a really small room)

Actually I laid 2 of 3×6 feet plywood, and it’s almost done, so this is only 6×6=36ft2 room, but as a storage space, it’s good for now.
My kid is really excited for this hidden space, he spent there for a while, but now it’s full of “can’t throw away stuff” now. The good thing is I can make it wider because these room were just separated by really thin plywood for some reasons. The bad thing is this space is extremely hot! (and cold in winter)