Join us July 26 - 28, 2024 in Mercer, Maine for three days Celebrating Japanese Woodworking!
This year we are expanding to three full days, featuring more in-depth, hands-on workshops, more expert instructors, more opportunities to learn and practice with Japanese tools, and special events including a film screening, BBQ Bonfire Party, and of course the revered planing competition!
New to woodworking? Welcome and we hope to see you! Check out the FAQ page for answers to common questions.
We are excited to announce that this year’s festival will occur at the culmination of a season of learning and workshops, check out our guest instructor workshops below:
Featured Presenters
Kohei Yamamoto
Kohei began his career in the furniture arts but eventually took a job as a Japanese Temple and Shrine carpenter, working on famous temples and shrines in Japan including the cultural heritage site: the Grand Shrine at Izumo. He now runs the woodworking company Somakosha, specializing in the traditional buildings that have served Japan for centuries.
Jim Blauvelt @jimblauvelt
Jim began his career in woodworking in 1982 studying under Robert Meadow before delving into to traditional handwork under Toshihiro Sahara from 1986 to 1990. Jim also apprenticed with Makoto Imai working on Japanese timber frame structures. Also an avid blacksmith and tool maker, Jim offers a wealth of knowledge across many disciplines.
Yann Giguère
Yann founded Mokuchi Studio in 2008 and previously ran the NY KEZ event until relocating to Oregon. He honed his Japanese woodworking skills while apprenticing under Dale Brotherton at the Takumi Company. His work exhibits fine joinery, clean finishing and a clear reverence for the natural material. Yann passionately shares his expertise with students through his workshops and classes.
Jon Billing
@big_sand_woodworking
After initial ventures in guitar building and diverse woodworking disciplines, Jon's journey led him to Japan in 2019, where he immersed himself in traditional techniques while working with Somakosha. Now, from his Tokyo studio, Jon intricately designs and builds furniture, embodying the precision and artistry of Japanese craftsmanship.
Matt Connorton
Matt's journey in woodworking began with unrestricted access to his family's basement tools, fostering a lifelong passion for creation and repair. His self-taught skills, enhanced by observing and working in various workshops, evolved into expertise in areas from furniture making to traditional Japanese carpentry. Despite the risks, Matt's adventurous spirit and continuous learning have kept both his curiosity and his physical well-being intact.
Wilbur Pan
@wilburpan
Wilbur Pan lives in Central New Jersey, and has written and taught about Japanese tools and woodworking in general since 2010, including articles for Popular Woodworking and Mortise and Tenon magazines, talks at Woodworking in America, Kezurou Kai USA, and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. He has been a guest on the Modern Woodworkers Association and the Fine Woodworking Shop Talk Live podcasts.
Hap Stanley
@nanohone
Born in 1963 in Roanoke, Virginia, Hap graduated from Lawrence Academy in 1982 and studied furniture making at The North Bennett Street School in Boston. Questioning whether craftsmanship relied on the tool or the craftsman, he spent over a decade in Japan, learning shoji making and urushi lacquering. Returning to the U.S., he founded Shapton USA and later Nano Hone in 2017, focusing on integrating advanced materials and techniques into efficient, aesthetic sharpening systems.
We are proud and honored to be hosting a screening of the amazing documentary “Carving the Divine - Buddhist Sculptors of Japan” at the 2024 Maine Japanese Woodworking Festival!
“Carving the Divine beautifully illustrates the dedication and patience required to create images in wood. The Buddhist wood carvings of Japan represent a pinnacle of human artistic and cultural achievement. The scenes of tools and techniques being used by students and their masters are an absolute treasure to behold and shines a bright light on the hidden tradition that has passed from master to disciple for more than a thousand years. ”
Schedule of Events
Hands On Friday - Friday, July 26, 2024
Attendance limited to 45 students to maximize instructor and student interaction. Learn to scribe a post to a stone in the morning and learn to cut a kanna dai in the afternoon. If you would like to come and watch the workshops and be at the festival early purchase a “Friday Only Spectator Registration”
| Start Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Check-in Opens |
| 8:45 AM | Workshop #1 Yann Giguère: Hands on Post Scribing to Stone |
| 12:00 PM | Opening Remarks and Lunch |
| 1:00 PM | Workshop #2 Jim Blauvelt: Hands on Dai Cutting for KEZ |
| 5:00 PM | Workshop #2 Concludes |
| 5:30 PM | Dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Special Film Screening + Q&A Carving the Divine - Buddhist Sculptors of Japan |
| 11:00 PM | Quiet |
Featured Events
Saturday Workshops and Presentations - Saturday, July 27, 2024
In-depth workshops and presentations by masters of the craft. Designated areas to discuss, try and troubleshoot tools plus the vibrant planing practice tent!
| Start Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Daniel Pinder and Josh Slaby: Dawn Martial Arts Demonstration |
| 8:00 AM | Check-in Opens |
| 8:45 AM | Yann Giguère: Woodworking as a Practice Body Mind and Spirit |
| 10:00 AM | Jon Billing: Hands on Planing the most Challenging Woods |
| 12:00 PM | Announcements and Lunch |
| 1:15 PM | Wilbur Pan: The Japanese tool Tradition: It’s Not What You Think It Is |
| 2:30 PM | Matt Connorton: Nomi-nomics: Getting the Most from Japanese Chisels |
| 4:00 PM | Hap Stanley: What is a Micron? |
| 6:00 PM | Barbeque and Bonfire! |
| 11:00 PM | Quiet |
Featured Events
Sunday Festival and Competition - Sunday, July 28, 2024
Morning talk followed by traditional log splitting, hewing, and wood preparation demonstration for all. An afternoon featuring a planing competition!
| Start Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Check-in Opens |
| 8:30 AM | Opening Talk - Yamamoto Kohei: Design Philosophy of Somakosha |
| 10:30 AM | Group Demo - Yann Giguère: Log to Timber Split, Hew, Adze, Yari ganna |
| 12:00 PM | Announcements and Lunch - Food Truck: Hero's on Wheels |
| 1:00 PM | Planing Practice and Qualification Begins |
| 3:00 PM | Hand Plane Shaving Competition Finals |
| 4:15 PM | Award and Closing Ceremonies |
Featured Events
Vendor Table and Swap Meet
Do you have quality, new or lightly used Japanese woodworking tools you might like to pass on to another craftsperson? We’ll provide a small area and method to swap and sell to fellow enthusiasts. Be sure to indicate your interest in selling at the swap meet during registration. Additionally, for the 2024 event we are happy to welcome the following vendors:
Kanata Tools
Andrew Ren will be selling a curated selection of premium Japanese hand tools and planes from famed tool makers Yamamoto, Ouchi, Mitsukawa and more!
Blue Water Forge
Bluewater Forge, operated by presenter Jim Blauvelt, will be offering a selection of hand made tools, hammer heads, and knives, featuring his signature feather pattern damascus that truly must be seen to be believed.
Registration
Here you may purchase your ticket to the event. If you don’t see ticket options below refresh this page. Once you register you can join the event Facebook page to coordinate with other attendees. We encourage you to bring your family and significant others to the evening events. After you select your event registrations you will have the option to add on additional Friday or Saturday dinners. Note that you’ll be notified that you already have dinners in your cart if you select a package deal, these are your included dinners.
Registration FAQ
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Things come up, and we are glad to issue a full refund any time up to a month before the event. Given the logistics and expenses required to put on an event such as this, we are unable to give refunds after 12:00AM June 26th. Thank you for your understanding.
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Yes, when you make your registration selections, you’ll be given the option to list who the ticket is for. Please list the person’s name for whom you are buying the ticket under “Attendee Name” Each attendee should answer the registration questions and agree to our liability waiver.
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Of course! During registration you’ll be able to add on additional seats for the dinners.
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Simply select the number of tickets you want from the drop down next to each option. You’ll be presented with questions for each attendee during checkout.
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In this case you should pick one “Festival Package” and one “Sunday Only Registration” listing yourself for the full package and your friend for the Sunday Only.
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Yes, the whole community is invited to see the film “Carving the Divine.” Just select that ticket option.
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You will need to add that discount code as an access code on the ticket page, this will unlock hidden discounted packages.
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Enter the discount you received as an access code on the ticket page, this will unlock a specially discounted full festival package.
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You are registered to participate if you get the Festival Package and will be provided with certain hands on materials when the workshops begin.
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Yes, we just added a "Friday Only Spectator Registration" you can come to the festival early, hang out and watch the workshops, but please respect the time and space of those participating in the hands-on workshops.
There are two ways to get discounts, enter a code as an access code below to unlock discounted package deals or enter the code as a discount code on the checkout page to apply the code to individual tickets.
Please note that payment cards will show payment company as NEVER STOP BUILDING LLC.