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Start Your First Free Month Today!

$19/month
Unlimited Access To All Courses
Exclusive 15% Discount on Tools and Official Project Plans
Access to the Discussion Forum
First Month Free Trial Included

Your Membership Includes:

UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ALL COURSES

Our videos explain advanced skills that were once vague. We break down complex terms used by experts, helping beginners understand and take action. We make sure our explanations are clear and specific, so you can learn confidently. Even if you make mistakes, you'll know why and improve next time.

15% DISCOUNT ON TOOLS

Get an exclusive 15% discount on tools available in our online shop, The DIY Japanese Joinery Shop.

SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Engage with enthusiasts from around the globe in the art of Japanese woodworking. Explore traditional techniques, delve into joinery discussions, and share in craft challenges and unique projects.

COURSE SUPPLEMENTS

All courses include detailed diagrams available for download. Store them on your device for easy reference in your workshop. You can also opt to print them if desired.

JAPAN-TRAINED EXPERT

Under the guidance of the instructor trained in Japan with over 25 years in woodworking and 8 years teaching, you'll gain deep insights from unmatched expertise, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience.

What Our Students Are Saying

The precision and quality of my dovetails and mortise and tenons have improved already.

Richard

I recently began upgrading my Japanese woodworking tools as I have gotten better at some of the techniques taught by Hisao Zen, as a means of improving my precision. I bought a set of DIY Japanese chisel set and I am very pleased at the quality of the chisels he provides. Firstly, they take a much, much, sharper edge than the less expensive chisels I’ve been using before this. Secondly, sharpening proceeds much more quickly because the quality of the steel and its machining is high – much higher than either my western chisels or my previous Japanese chisels (set of 4). Thirdly, they hold an edge longer. Fourthly, the precision and quality of my dovetails and mortise and tenons have improved already (two weeks) because I can control the chiseling motions with less force than before.

I’ve never been able to get those nice little shavings with the corner edge of my chisel seen in the videos; I do now. For what it’s worth, I went back and re-sharpened a couple of my old chisels to check whether my technique is better or the DIY JJ chisel was making this possible. I just cannot get the older chisels to work this well.

In summary, the cost of upgrading has been well worth it. The DIY JJ chisel set is worth the investment in the long term. Less frustration, more accuracy, more success.

The detailed instructions to set up and use the Japanese tools is invaluable.

Roy

I have signed up for various woodworking tuition programs on the internet over the past 2 years and have been searching for a more practical approach to joinery. The problem I have experienced with most of these is the lack of interaction between us as the students and them as the teacher. I have also had a passion for Japanese woodworking and simply love the elegant and refined approach that the Japanese woodworking culture has, but have never been able to find a video course with detailed tuition. Both of these problems have been resolved with DIY Japanese Joinery. Hisao has been absolutely superb in getting back to me with questions I have asked. I have even attempted my first concealed sliding dovetail on a very simple lamp stand and I was absolutely amazed at the strength and rigidity of this.

This of course has fired my imagination to no end. The detailed instructions to set up and use the Japanese tools is invaluable. No textbook, video etc that I have found has ever explained this so well. I can highly recommend this tuition to anyone who is interested in learning about what has been perfected over many centuries. Well done Hisao! We as students only hope to aspire to your skills and knowledge.

The classes cover all the important aspects including tools selection and setup, something that is often overlooked in other online classes.

Dmytro

DIY Japanese Joinery are by far the most comprehensive online classes. Every subject is divided into a series of short and concise clips, every clip is focused on a single specific aspect. Such format helps to pay close attention which is hard otherwise. The classes covers all the important aspects including tools selection and setup, something that is often overlooked in other online classes. I personally found foundational skills demos very beneficial, i.e. how exactly to saw straight or pare a flat so that the best outcome is achieved. While one might never cut a tokko or a kanawa tsugi, these techniques are easily transferred to any kind of joinery with great results.

Every tool and technique is explained clearly and in great detail, requiring no previous knowledge.

Kai

DIY Japanese Joinery is a great resource for everyone who is interested in Japanese woodworking and joinery. No previous knowledge regarding this topic is required to profit from this course, since every tool and technique is explained clearly and in great detail. The instructor shows everything and if necessary from different angles, nothing is left out or hidden. This also helps to get a good feel for how long certain steps will take. The videos are enjoyable to watch as well as much more fun and informative than a book can be.

His instructions are clear, concise, and easy to follow, and I especially like that his videos are clean and practical.

I C Kim

Hisao Zen's online course is by far the best resource available for learning about Japanese woodworking apart from actual hands-on training by a master! His instructions are clear, concise, and easy to follow, and I especially like that his videos are clean and practical without the YouTube trappings of overly dramatic montages, music overlays, or self-aggrandizing personalities. As soon as I first saw his videos on YouTube I wanted more and I was delighted when he announced his Kickstarter for the course. I immediately signed up and I am very happy that I did! Even though I have a background in Asian woodworking (my father taught me Korean style carpentry), I still learn a great deal from Hisao's course!

DIY Japanese Joinery is unique in that it hands on information from teacher to student.

Benjamin Knopf

As a timber framer I make use of a great many hand tools on a daily and professional basis. Now there is always something lost when someone tries to learn a new skill by reading a book. DIY Japanese Joinery is unique in that it hands on information from teacher to student. Japanese tools do not suffer fools lightly, and I have found that having an actual teacher has been invaluable in learning how to care for and use Japanese tools. If you are serious about learning this style of woodworking, this is an important resource that you should not pass by.

Woodworking can be what I need, focusing on the process without concern for completion.

Allen

I am definitely a neophyte with regard to woodworking but recently became very drawn to Japanese tools. They are kind of mystical to me and you have helped to reduce the mystery while maintaining such a reverence for what these tools can do if you let them. I have watched you move slowly and do so with a careful attention to the process. Woodworking can be that thing I need it to be when I work as you have shown me. I can simply do and not be too concerned with completion...

Start Your First Free Month Today!

$19/month
Unlimited Access To All Courses
Exclusive 15% Discount on Tools and Official Project Plans
Access to the Discussion Forum
First Month Free Trial Included

FAQs

What makes it different from other woodworking?

I'm not sure what kind of woodworking you're comparing it to, so let's compare it to woodworking using MDF sheets or particle boards here.

MDF sheets and particle boards are made by eliminating the characteristics that wood has to the extreme. Therefore, they hardly have any movement such as shrinkage or expansion. As a result, simply cutting them with a table saw and securing them with adhesive or screws is often sufficient.

However, woodworking using solid wood is not that simple. Working with solid wood, which constantly absorbs and releases moisture, requires creating complex joints and interlocking them to restrain each other's movement. Simply securing them with adhesive or screws cannot restrain the movement of the wood.

The technique that has developed to maximize the appeal of solid wood is called Japanese joinery. Traditional Japanese woodworking basically uses only solid wood. In other words, Japanese joinery is a recipe for how to masterfully use solid wood.

Whether one is superior or preferable over the other depends on the project and personal preferences, and opinions may be divided. However, one thing that can be said is that using various hand tools to apply intricate joints to solid wood and seamlessly joining them together is an unparalleled pleasure.

Can even complete beginners master this technique?

I've received the same type of question from people with zero woodworking experience like yourself many times. The answer is YES. Each video explains the process in great detail so that even a beginner can understand. At times, the explanations may even seem repetitive or overly persistent, and I've even received feedback that I repeat things too much. However, it's important to repeat the explanations as many times as necessary and demonstrate the key points as often as needed. So please don't worry. In fact, it's beginners like yourself who we want to take our courses.

What are the instructor's background and qualifications?

The instructor is an experienced professional who has worked as a woodworking craftsman in both Japan and Australia for many years. In addition to his field experience, he has over 8 years of experience as an instructor and has taught hundreds of people. There is a more detailed description below that provides a better understanding of who he is, so please take a look if you are interested.

What tools do I need to start?

Woodworking is an expensive hobby. Various tools are necessary, such as saws, chisels, and planes - the three major woodworking tools - as well as measuring tools such as rulers and marking gauges, knives, hammers, sharpening stones (coarse, medium, and fine), clamps, and so on.

It is strongly recommended to invest in good quality tools at the beginning, as they can last a lifetime and help you improve your skills quickly. If you buy poor quality tools, woodworking will not be enjoyable, and you may eventually give up.

In this course, we also provide explanations on how to choose and use tools.

Do your videos have subtitles?

Yes, all of the videos have subtitles. Although the instructor is a non-native speaker, he is trying his best to conduct all classes in English. Please don't make fun of him by saying things like "In this vido...".

Oh, you're saying that the English here is written well? Ah, that's thanks to my secretary named ChatGPT, whom I recently hired.

Is there any interaction or support among the members?

Yes, you can interact with other members in the Community. It is also possible to exchange information and show each other's work. You can also ask questions to the instructor from the Community. So far, not many people have posted, so it's a bit lonely. We would appreciate it if you could make a post. We are waiting for your contribution.

Who's Joining DIY Japanese Joinery?

Retirees eager to explore new hobbies or skills.
Engineers seeking tangible outcomes and desiring a break from technology.
Architecture students drawn to the rationality inherent in Japanese woodworking.
Professionals in high-stress roles, such as paramedics and police officers, seeking solace and grounding.
Carpenters aiming to stand out through a fusion of tradition and innovation in Japanese woodworking.
Individuals looking to join a community of like-minded peers.
Seekers of personal development and new life chapters.

You offer certain courses and you also offer a monthly membership. What is the difference between the two?

Regarding the membership:

New content will be added regularly.
You will have access to all the courses.
It includes a one-month free trial.
You'll receive a 15% discount on tools at our online tool shop.
You can ask questions and share knowledge and techniques with other members in the community.

Meet your instructor

During my childhood, I was fascinated by skilled craftsmen and could spend hours observing them work, whether they were plasterers or pastry chefs. I was so captivated that I even recorded a 15-minute program on NHK, a Japanese broadcast station, which showcased various craftsmen in action. This program was so obscure that it was not listed in the TV guide and was often replaced by breaking news. Nevertheless, I would struggle to find and record it on videotape, then watch it repeatedly until the tape wore out. I was drawn to the craftsmen's efficient movements, as if their hands had a mind of their own.

The TV show included joinery techniques, and I was impressed by how each intricately processed piece fit perfectly without gaps and was joined as if it were originally one piece. I had a strong desire to acquire this kind of skill myself.

Fortunately, through a personal connection, I became an apprentice to a master who specialized in temple and shrine architecture. By that time, the mainstream method of using large machines to create joints, known as "pre-cut," had already been adopted. However, not many places used pre-cut for shrine and temple architecture at that time, so I had the opportunity to experience traditional manual cutting using saws, chisels, planes, and other hand tools.

Through this hands-on experience of manual cutting, I learned how to use tools and understand the characteristics of solid timber through my body. It was particularly helpful in acquiring the skill of reading wood grain. Reading the wood grain correctly makes it easier and safer to use tools. Moreover, if you can predict how a particular timber will move to some extent, you can create joints that fit its movement. These were skills that could not be learned without manual cutting.

In addition, to achieve the best results in manual cutting, the tools must also be in the best condition. Therefore, I also learned how to sharpen the tools to their best condition.

Nowadays, more and more places that specialize in shrine and temple architecture are adopting pre-cut, and the opportunities for manual cutting are decreasing. In this era of pursuing profit and efficiency, manual woodworking is becoming less common. I feel fortunate to have acquired these skills right before these technological advancements, which is why I consider it not only a pleasure but also a responsibility to share the traditional art of Japanese joinery with the world.

Hisao Zen

Founder of DIY Japanese Joinery

DIY Japanese Joinery sets itself apart from today's efficiency-driven society, emphasizing the importance of utilizing "your sole resource" — your physical self — to focus on the present task and experience the essence of living in the now.

If you're inclined to dedicate your time and energy to discovering pleasure in the hands-on process and seek to enrich your daily existence, our world might just be the ideal match for you.

The potential to create beautiful masterpieces already lies in your hands!

Legal Notices: Visit our terms and conditions page to view important information that will help you understand the benefits and limitations of our work. You can also view our privacy policy. All pricing is in U.S. dollars.