JAPAN’s 250 Year old cultural heritage: Inami Woodcarving
About Inami
Inami woodcarving is one of Japan’s most renowned traditional crafts, originating in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. The town, home to over one hundred professional woodcarvers, has sustained this art form for more than 250 years through a continuous master–apprentice tradition.
Origins and History
Inami’s story begins in 1390 with the founding of Zuisenji Temple, a branch of Kyoto’s Honganji Temple. The temple’s construction attracted skilled carpenters, and Inami flourished as a centerof craftsmanship.In 1762, a fire destroyed Zuisenji, and a sculptor from Kyoto named Maekawa Sanshirō was invited to assist in its reconstruction. After teaching local temple carpenters his techniques, Inami gradually evolved into a town of specialized woodcarvers, establishing the foundation of its distinct style. Sanshiro’s dragon carved on the temple gate at that time still stands today as a symbol of the craft’s beginnings.During the Meiji period (early 20th century), Inami artisans expanded beyond temple ornamentation to produce ranma — carved transom panels used in traditional Japanese homes.This innovation brought Inami woodcarving into daily life and led to a period of remarkable growth. By the postwar era, more than 300 artisans were active, making Inami Japan’s largest woodcarving center.
Techniques and Characteristics
Inami woodcarving is defined by its creation from a single block of wood — an art of subtraction that reveals form through continuous carving. Each piece is executed entirely by hand; carvers never use sandpaper. Every surface is finished with chisels alone, requiring exceptional precision and control. A single work may involve more than two hundred chisels of different shapes and sizes. Camphor wood is the primary material, valued for its flexibility and durability. The process begins with a detailed sketch (shitae), followed by rough carving, intermediate carving, and final finishing. The composition must remain structurally connected to its frame, with every line and curve contributing to harmony and balance.
Apprenticeship and Transmission
The foundation of Inami’s longevity lies in its traditional apprenticeship system, which lasts a minimum of five years. Apprentices begin by cleaning the workshop and maintaining tools, spending months learning to sharpen chisels by hand before ever carving wood. Through years of observation and practice, they internalize the master’s rhythm and technique, gradually progressing to independent work. Today, while many apprentices no longer live with their masters, the principles remain unchanged. Within the Inami Woodcarving Cooperative, artisans collaborate, train new generations, and take part in restoration and cultural exchange projects.
Inami Today
Although domestic demand for traditional ranma has declined due to changes in architecture, Inami’s craftsmen continue to adapt. Many now apply their skills to contemporary design, furniture, and architectural commissions, while also restoring cultural landmarks such as Nagoya Castle and Shuri Castle. Yet this shift marks a critical turning point. As demand for traditional work has fallen, so too has the number of masters able to sustain enough apprentices to cultivate a future generation of skilled carvers. Most of Inami’s master craftsmen are now over the age of sixty, and without new opportunities and global awareness, the transmission of these centuries-honed skills faces the risk of disappearing within a single generation. Through its collaboration with Poiesis, Inami’s artisans are expanding their work to new motifs and symbolisms for clients around the world. Their craftsmanship continues to evolve while remaining grounded in centuries of discipline and precision. Inami woodcarvers take pride in their mastery: “If it is wood, we can carve anything.” Inami remains the only town in the world where more than one hundred woodcarvers live and work side by side, a living testament to the enduring strength and adaptability of traditional craft.
Gallery
Residential Ranma
Relief Carving
Temple & Shrine
Contemporary Fusion
