Join us July 24 - 27, 2025 in Mercer, Maine for four days Celebrating Japanese Woodworking!
This year we are expanding from 3 to 4 days, starting with an all-hands group timber frame raising and continuing the tradition of in-depth, hands-on workshops, expert instructors, opportunities to learn and practice with Japanese tools, and special events including a Japanese boat launch ceremony, swordsmanship demonstration, 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.
New for 2025: Group Timber Frame Raising, Lightening Talks, Scholarship Packages, and more to come!
This year all of our summer events will run back-to-back; get ready for a packed July of Japanese timber framing, woodworking, hewing, hand planing, and joinery:
Featured Presenters
Jeff Bearce
Jeff began practicing Japanese carpentry twenty years ago at Joinery Structures and now runs 3 Sticks Design / Build where he specializes in traditional Japanese buildings. Grounded in tradition, his work exhibits a character rarely seen outside of Japan. Jeff also writes extensively about the nature of work, craft, and carpentry at his blog Knowing Hands.
Jim Blauvelt
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.
Dorian Bracht
@dorianbracht
Dorian Bracht trained in furniture making in Germany, apprenticing in Leipzig, before founding his Berlin workshop in 2012. A passionate craftsman, he specializes in creating custom, handcrafted furniture. Dorian is also the author of the book Japanese Joinery and shares his expertise through the YouTube series, Joint Venture, showcasing intricate joint-cutting techniques.
Douglas Brooks
Douglas Brooks is a boatbuilder, writer, researcher and teacher. Since 1990 he has studied traditional Japanese boatbuilding, building boats with nine teachers, all craftspeople in their seventies and eighties from throughout Japan. He is the sole apprentice for seven of his teachers. He is the author of five books, including Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding, the first comprehensive survey of the craft.
Jason Forster
Jason began his woodworking career apprenticing under Oakland daiku Jay van Arsdale, building over 70 bonsai benches for the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt. A former materials science postdoctoral fellow, Jason holds a Ph.D. in soft matter physics from Yale. He teaches Japanese woodworking and works as a carpenter at Hermitage Woodworks in Richmond, CA.
John Reed Fox
John Reed Fox has been designing and building fine furniture and accessories since 1979. His "one of a kind" and limited edition pieces have been exhibited at national juried craft fairs, invitational shows and galleries. Japanese houseware and architectural design is the major influence in his effort to create functional, decorative and elegant furniture.
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.
Brian Holcombe @bp.holcombe
Brian designs and builds original work, drawing influence from Japanese Sashimono and furniture of the Ming Dynasty. Focusing on cabinetry, casework, tables, boxes, art framing and shoji. Also a skilled machinist, Brian brings a refined precision to his work, often including his own designed and handmade hardware.
Andrew Hunter
Andrew is a custom furniture maker based in New York’s Hudson Valley, specializing in traditional Japanese hand tools. A self-taught woodworker with over 20 years of experience, he teaches workshops across the Northeast and writes for Fine Woodworking magazine, sharing insights into Eastern woodworking principles and techniques.
Alex Perez
Alexander Perez is a woodworker, artist, and sawyer. A man of mixed disciplines with an extensive past, he can be found traversing the forests of the Hudson Valley with his dog (Freyja) and chainsaw (Dolores) or diligently flattening his whetstones. He takes pride in his ability to identify wood just by scent and is on a great quest to defend analog at all costs.
Andrew is a master of the hand plane, a skilled photographer, and a dedicated tool dealer. Known for his obsessive approach to honing his skills, he excels in planing competitions in Japan, achieving single-digit micron shavings. He collaborates with blacksmiths to develop premium tools for woodworking enthusiasts.
Sayuri Suzuki-Schreiber
Born in Kawasaki and raised in Koga, Japan, Suzuki-san moved to the Bay Area in 1996, immersing herself in the Japanese tool trade operating Suzuki-ya Suzuki Tool. She co-founded Kezurou-Kai USA in 2015 and is a highly knowledgeable in Japanese steel, hardware, and knife sharpening.
Jay Van Arsdale
Jay Van Arsdale apprenticed in his family’s Kentucky blacksmith shop before earning an MFA in sculpture. In the mid-70s, he studied with Japanese daiku Makoto Imai. Jay teaches woodworking, lectures widely, and is the author of Shoji: How to Design, Build, and Install Japanese Screens, among other works.
Schedule of Events
Our schedule tends to expand and change as we get closer to the festival, the below may lack specific times or detail that will be added over the next few months.
Early Arrival - Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Those who are traveling from afar and camping at the festival may arrive after 4:00 PM on Wednesday.
Tatemae / Raising Day - Thursday, July 24, 2025
The first day of the 2025 Maine Japanese Woodworking Festival is also the final day of our Summer Japanese Timber Frame Workshop: Blacksmith Shop Build. We want to share the struggle and the joy of raising a large timber frame as a team and encourage you to participate as much as you would like. More details coming soon.
| Start Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Check-in Opens |
| TBD | Timber Frame Raising |
| TBD | Tool Tuneup |
| TBD | Timber Frame Student Presentation and Celebration |
| 11:00 PM | Quiet |
Hands On Friday - Friday, July 25, 2025
This year we will be running two parallel hands on workshops to maximize instructor and student interaction. There will be two concurrent workshops in the morning and two after lunch. Attend two of the four that interest you most. As most workshops provide practice materials we ask that you participate fully in each of your two selections.
| Start Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Check-in Opens |
| TBD | 4 Hour Workshop: Yann Giguère: Hewing and Timber Layout |
| TBD | 4 Hour Workshop: Jim Blauvelt: Layout for Hip Roof Framing |
| TBD | 4 Hour Workshop: Jay Van Arsdale and Jason Forster: Cutting any Joint with a 5 Part Process |
| TBD | 4 Hour Workshop: TBD |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner |
| 11:00 PM | Quiet |
Saturday Workshops and Presentations - Saturday, July 26, 2025
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 |
| TBD | Jeff Bearce: Japanese Gate Design |
| TBD | Douglas Brooks: Japanese Boat Design and Construction |
| TBD | Douglas Brooks and Alex Perez: Japanese Boat Launch Ceremony |
| TBD | John Reed Fox: Cohesive Design Intent, Material Selection and Furniture Design |
| TBD | Brian Holcombe: Super Surfacer Operation, Tuning and "Planing Competition" |
| TBD | Andrew Hunter: Tuning and Oganna Demo |
| TBD | Jim Blauvelt: Christening the Forge - Blacksmith Demo |
| 6:00 PM | Barbeque and Bonfire! |
| 11:00 PM | Quiet |
Sunday Festival and Competition - Sunday, July 27, 2025
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 |
| TBD | Dorian Bracht: Advanced Japanese Joinery and Furniture Design |
| TBD | Group Activity - Yann Giguère: Log to Timber Split, Hew, Adze, Yari ganna |
| TBD | Planing Practice and Qualification Begins |
| 1:00 PM | Hand Plane Shaving Competition Finals |
| 3:15 PM | Award and Closing Ceremonies |
Lightening Talks
For 2025 we will schedule several time slots where an attendee can sign up to give a short 15 minute presentation. Share a skill, show off a project, do a demonstration, or give a lecture. Let us know if you are interested in the free comments section during registration. More details coming soon.
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 2025 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 Thursday, Friday or Saturday dinners, as well as premium tools available only to workshop and festival attendees to be picked up at the festival. 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.
Festival Scholarship
Through generous donations by former workshop students and festival goers we will be reserving a few full “Festival Package” tickets to award to those new to the craft who have shown a passion and desire to learn Japanese Woodworking.
The application deadline is June 1, 2025 - Scholarships will be awarded on June 7, 2025. Interested?
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 24th. 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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Bundles have all discounts already applied, discount codes will work for single day tickets.
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If you previously registered for the workshop and would later like to add festival attendance for a discount, please contact us and we will provide you with an access code. 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.
Please note that payment cards will show payment company as NEVER STOP BUILDING LLC.