The Japanese Are Better at Wood Than You Are

Japan has some of the most famous and oldest temples in the world. Some of which have survived for thousands of years like this pagoda at the Hōryū-ji Temple.

It is also the country with the most recorded earthquakes in the world.

So how have these wooden structures survived for so long without being destroyed by one of the many earthquakes?

They’re made completely out of wood with no nails for joinery. Japan is renowned for their work with wood (and concrete, but we’ll save that topic for another day).

Their mastery of wood is incredible. Here’s a video that breaks down the way large pagodas are able withstand centuries of earthquakes. The secret is hidden in the flexibility of the joints.

You can see more of these wood joining techniques in detail from the @TheJoinery__jp. His animations from the 3D models he created give you a greater appreciation for how many different ways two pieces of wood can come together.

Here are a few of my favorites:

The industrial designer in me was giddy seeing all of this craftsmanship.

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