Traditional Japanese Boat Building Books by Douglas Brooks – Master the Art of Japanese Shipcraft
Explore the timeless craftsmanship of traditional Japanese boat building with our collection of books by Douglas Brooks, an expert in Japanese maritime design and woodworking techniques. These books provide comprehensive guidance, historical context, and practical instruction for anyone interested in building, restoring, or studying traditional Japanese boats.
Douglas Brooks’ publications cover classic Japanese boat types, joinery methods, hull construction, and finishing techniques, offering detailed illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Perfect for boat builders, maritime historians, woodworkers, and enthusiasts of Japanese craftsmanship, these books combine technical precision with cultural insight, helping readers understand both the artistry and functionality behind Japan’s seafaring heritage.
Whether you’re learning to construct a wasen (traditional wooden Japanese boat), restoring historic vessels, or simply exploring Japanese maritime culture, these books provide the knowledge, tools, and inspiration needed to bring traditional boat building to life.
Dive into the world of authentic Japanese boat building with books by Douglas Brooks—where heritage, craftsmanship, and practical instruction meet to preserve and celebrate this unique art form.
The Cormorant Fishing Boat
The Cormorant Fishing Boat
To document and preserve an ancient craft tradition in danger of disappearing, Douglas Brooks apprenticed with five master boatbuilders in Japan between 1996 and 2010, building a different traditional wooden boat with each. His research and experiences were presented in his landmark 2015 publication, Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding.
This book documents his most recent apprenticeship, building a cormorant fishing boat with 85-year-old master craftsman Seichi Nasu, in Gifu, Japan. Using trained cormorants to fish has a 1,300 year history in Gifu, and is done at night from special river craft called ubune, literally "cormorant boat." The boat features an extended bow with pivoting boom from which is hung an iron fire basket to light up the water and attract fish, which are then retrieved by the enthusiastic birds. Together with Mr. Nasu, then 85, Brooks worked with several volunteers over a two-month period to build the 42 foot craft, a design largely unchanged for centuries.
As in his previous publications, readers are introduced to important aspects of traditional Japanese boatbuilding, including design and measurements, workshop and tools, wood and materials, joinery and fastenings, and above all, secrets of the craft.
Soft Cover | 96 pages | Floating World Editions | Edition: 2022 | 21.7 x 27.2 cm