Founded in 1760, carrying nearly 250 years of Inami woodcarving into contemporary life
Inami Woodcarving Crafts Museum
Inami Woodcarving Crafts Museum was founded in 1760 in Inami, Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. The studio carries forward the tradition of Inami carving, a craft with nearly 250 years of history. The tradition is said to have begun when carving techniques brought from Kyoto were passed on to local craftsmen during the reconstruction of Zuisenji Temple after a fire.
The studio mainly works with domestically sourced woods such as zelkova, camphor, hinoki cypress, paulownia, and cherry. Each piece of timber is carefully dried before carving, and the natural grain is treated as part of the composition rather than something to be hidden.
A defining feature of Inami carving is that the work is finished entirely with chisels and carving knives rather than sandpaper. More than 200 tools are used according to the task, and openwork carving from both sides of a single board creates remarkable depth and interaction with light.
Masaji Maekawa and Daichi Maekawa work together across two generations. While inheriting traditions rooted in temple carving and ranma panels, Daichi Maekawa explores contemporary woodcarving centered on the motif of clouds. Wood that has grown over many decades is given a new life through techniques carried forward across generations.
