Palace architectures such as the Forbidden City in China and Gyeongbokgung in Korea are huge and magnificent in appearance. Today, the rising popularity of music and TV dramas have made it easier than ever to learn about Chinese and Korean cultures. These outlets, however, provide almost no opportunity to learn about the “spirit of craftsmanship” of Chinese and Korean traditional wooden architecture.

In this exhibition, we introduce three master carpenters representing Japan, China, and Korea. They are excellent craftsmen, having worked on famous cultural heritage sites such as the Forbidden City, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Yakushiji Temple. In this exhibition, these three carpenter’s architectural models and carpentry tools have been gathered from overseas, allowing us to clearly see the differences among the three. Architectural models, in particular, reveal the unique skills and design techniques of these master carpenters. In addition, we hope that you enjoy not only the differences, but also the common spirit of these three carpenters.

Lastly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Ogawa Mitsuo, Li Yongge, Shin Eungsoo and all others those who made this exhibition possible with their kind cooperation.