My name is Thomas Hattori – Young (quite a mouthful, I know!)
I am a British carpenter living and working in Gifu, Japan. This blog is a record of my journey as a traditional carpentry apprentice.
I moved to Japan in 2016, with a plan to teach English for one year and immerse myself in the Japanese language and culture. Little did I know I would still be here studying to become a traditional carpenter many years later!
Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey.
First steps in Japan
The company I worked for during my first year is one of the large chains of private language schools with locations throughout Japan. They paid for plane tickets, arranged my work visa and provided accommodation for the duration of my one year contract. They also chose the location of my work placement, which happened to be a small city called Takaoka, in Toyama prefecture.
Takaoka is famous for a few things – it is famed for its fresh seafood (being located next to the sea of Japan) and for its metalwork. There are several famous metalwork craft companies based there. Here are two of my favourites:
https://www.futagami-imono.co.jp/
Within a few weeks of living in Takaoka I began to feel drawn to all the craft work going on around the city. I also found myself regularly interacting with craftspeople and tradesmen working in different fields. I stumbled upon an amazing izakaya / saké bar in the basement of Takaoka station, named “Otomi”. The owner, Takao-san, had spent time in Australia and could speak English. Through spending time eating and drinking on Friday nights at this joyous little bar, I slowly began to meet the various characters of the local craft scene.
Fast forward – my year in Japan ends…
I had met many people during my intense year living in Takaoka. One person in particular, a furniture craftsman named Hayashi-san, made a really big impression on me. He used to regularly host parties at his workshop, where I met many of his talented friends; one guy who makes parts for buddhist altars, another who hand beats temple bells from sheet metal. Hayashi-san also took the time to show me his work and talk about design.
https://hayashi-seisakusho.com
Eventually, Hayashi-san offered me the opportunity to help out at his workshop and get some experience as a kind of informal short-term apprenticeship. This only ended up lasting a few weeks, but I feel indebted to my friend for teaching me some of his values and principles of being a craftsperson. (Perhaps I will write more about my experience working with Hayashi-san in another post.)
My time had come to an end. My contract was finished and my accommodation lease had expired. It was time to leave Japan. But I knew I would be back to continue my journey of discovery.
HY Carpentry 