This video shows the technique of mageki (wood bending) in a woodworking workshop in Hida. The wood is first steamed, then bent with a mechanical press and then secured in a mould to dry and harden. Mageki craftspeople must keep a close eye on the condition of the wood throughout the process. If it is too dry, then it will break during the bending process, but if it is too wet, then it won’t retain its shape when bent. Although this technique requires considerable manual and mechanical skills from the craftspeople, it results in strong and elegant furniture designs, created from a single rod of wood without any joints.
This video is part of Japan House London's exhibition 'The Carpenters’ Line: Woodworking Heritage in Hida Takayama', which explores Hida’s legacy of skill and innovation through a series of installations focusing on woodworking techniques and materials, technology and innovation, products (including Hida-shunkei lacquerware and intricate kumiko latticework) and the people whose livelihoods depend on working with the natural materials of their local environment.
