Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Japanese Fabrication and Advanced Digital Tools

Traditional Japanese woodworking techniques have been inherited between generations in the past millennia through the Daiku, the master carpenter that teaches apprentices the precise and valuable skills of carpentry through methodical and time-intensive processes. Throughout the 21st Century, with the development of advanced construction methods, coupled with younger generations exhibiting little interest in following the Daiku, this valuable cultural artform is becoming less prevalent in Japanese culture. However, the development of advanced digital tools offers an avenue through which the knowledge and skills of older generations can be both transferred and developed by younger generations. In this context, the paper examines the relationship between traditional Japanese woodworking and advanced computational tools by bringing experts from both disciplines for the design and construction of a Japanese Pagoda, in which the significance of bridging the gap between both domains is highlighted across the design, fabrication and assembly of the project.