Historically in Japan, carpentry had been recognized as a mystical profession. Carpenters kept their knowledge secret and transmitted their technology through apprenticeships. The ample use of natural materials and the sublime execution of delicate proportions, details, and finish are what elevate Japanese carpentry to an elite status in the world of woodworking. Daiku The Japanese word for carpenter us daiku. Japanese carpenters are involved in many types of woodworking, but the core daiku job focuses on timber frame homes and the joinery used to create them. The quality of surface finish and wood joinery seen in each room of a Japanese home are of furniture quality throughout. It is as if a cabinetmaker built an entire house by hand. The quality extends, not just to the timber frame itself, but to every visible surface and detail. It is not easy to accomplish the level of quality that is typical to Japanese architecture. The working craftsmen are required to be highly trained, usually by a lengthy apprenticeship, becoming experts in the use of traditional joinery tools and techniques. The woods used are mostly cedars for beauty, durability and strength. Each piece exposed wood is carefully selected, oriented for optimum strength and beauty then left natural without the application of heavy sealers or varnishes. Tools The tools commonly used by Japanese carpenters are divided into a few basic families. Japanese hand saw (nokogiri) which cuts on the pull stroke rather than the European style push stroke. This allows the blades to be quite thin in comparison to the Western saw. Japanese hand plane (kanna) is most commonly a wooden block containing a laminated blade, sub- blade, and securing pin. The blade itself is tapered both in thickness and in width so as to wedge tightly into the wooden block when tapped down into place. Japanese planes are operated by pulling rather than pushing and much work is done in the seated position or alongside a planning beam. Japanese chisel (nomi) . These come in a larger variety of types and gradations than the Western chisel. It is common in Japan to work with softwoods, so many chisels are made with that in mind, and require the bevel be steepened if employed for harder woods.