Japanese Plane (Kanna) Competition - Mini Kezuroukai - Sanjo, Niigata, Japan - 15 Microns or Less

In this video, we are in Sanjo, Niigata, Japan for a small version of the Kezuroukai, a Japanese Planer competition. It is an event where people from all over Japan come to show off and test their planing skills. Those that want to enter need to present shavings that are less than 15 microns. However, it is more likely to be recognized if you have shavings under 12 microns.
At this event we met a lot of nice and interesting people. We learned about what to look for when buying a sumitsubo, a Japanese inking pot. We also learned about some planing tools and techniques that were very interesting and could be applied to carpentry life helping to improve the output quality of work.
It was a great event and we had a lot of fun shopping and talking with people. We highly recommend attending a Kezuroukai in Japan or one of them happening overseas.
Videographers and Editing:
Kaori / Garrett
Equipment Used:
Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark iii (4k)
Olympus OMD EM-5 Mark iii (4k)
Rode VideoMicro (Audio)
Rode VideoMic NTG (Audio)
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[@jospan176]

Poetry in motion. I'm a 72 year old English Carpenter and still get a huge buzz out of watching these skills.

[@andersonlong7709]

This is so very cool. I’ve been using Japanese chisels, saws and kanna in woodworking and carpentry for 45 years. They are on a level entirely to themselves. How fortunate you are to be there and be exposed to all the master craftsmen.

[@daviddobson6108]

Another great video of people crafting wonderful things.

[@stefanx5470]

Unbelievable precision.

[@kenparish6074]

I just found your channel and admire that you are learning the Japanese style of carpentry. I really appreciate you finding old tools and bringing them back to working condition. I am a old guy who learned from my father and grandfather about carpentry and many other skills. I want to recommend a channel to you of a very skilled carpenter in Japan who reminds me of my father and grandfather who has been building houses in Japan since middle school over 50 years. He is very skilled and some of his videos are not translated but some are and I recommend him to you if you want to learn from a man who cuts no corners and does everything right as far as I can see. If I was in your shoes I think this could be extremely valuable as a tutor he is a perfectionist like my dad was and now that I am old enough to appreciate the fact that there is only one way to do things and that is the right way. Sorry for being so preachy but I think you could learn a lot from this man. His name is Shoyen Japanese Carpenter is the translated channel and he has another non translated channel in Japanese I highly recommend. Ken Parish Denver Colorado

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

Man, that dude has a Ramones shirt on!! That's a blast from the past. I love the Japanese methods of wood joinery. I am currently trying to learn some myself and they can be very challenging but fun too.

[@elizabethturner2421]

What a great demonstration! Thank you for sharing your visit!

[@kiwdwks]

To hone your craft to that level...beyond words.

[@tanyaleef5138]

an incredible craftsmanship❤

[@bradymcphail9690]

I found your channel from researching Japanese wood hand planes. I’m American and am feeling the same amazement for Japanese Carpenters tools and Japanese Furniture Makers tools as most Americans. I’m also a Metal Worker, in fact it’s my specialty for 45 years. I’m currently obsessed with making and hoping to master Knives & Blacksmithing making Chefs knives, Fishing Knives & Specialty knives. All Handmade & 1 off… All of that to say, I surely enjoy your channel & Sub’d I’m going to binge watch I have a feeling checking the tool vids… thanks!

[@NSResponder]

Japanese craftsmanship has few rivals and no superiors.

[@myRefuge3710]

Nice. Digging his Ramones shirt

[@anonplayer8529]

Yeah, and it is weird that he appears to have all his toes still in place :) .

[@bossdarli]

Love the RAMONES t shirt !

[@adamallen8863]

One day I’ll get to one of these events Thanks for showing us.

[@brodersami]

Amazing how knowledgeable everybody is!

[@JohnColgan.]

amazing craftsmanship in Japan

[@brendanhart1065]

The ink pots are beautiful

[@ericlipps7152]

The Japanese tools are the best in the world,collect them all.

[@paulcookies]

Yikes! Who could imagine such precision?

[@olqu1352]

When it comes to the type of wood used in kanna competitions, a variety of woods can be used, depending on the preference of the competitors and the availability of materials. However, typically softwoods such as Japanese cypress (hinoki) or Japanese cedar (sugi) are commonly used. These woods are favored for their relatively straight grain and ease of working with hand tools like the kanna

[@rhaataja]

I would love to plan our next trip to Japan so we could attend a kezuroukai, but I definitely need to get my language skills to a higher level so I can learn. We had a mini competition on the last day of the semester for a class I'm taking in Oakland California.

[@Lugeix]

The coolest guy with the Ramone shirt. Awesome.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Lol

[@TerrySkyupLam]

I wish I could be there! 🤩

[@judenoteboom5256]

Great video! Thank you for posting.

[@ChessTurner]

Thank you so much for great video

[@pauldalessandro6824]

Are you sure that Mount Ohira is near Kyoto and not Tochigi? There are special stone mines to the west of Kyoto but am unaware of one referenced by Mount Ohira. If you ever get a chance, be sure to visit 天然砥石の砥取家 about a 45 min drive WNW of Kyoto. It is truly a place where "the stones pick you" as another reader has mentioned.

[@hughelliott4656]

I would love to see this in person.

[@bchdsailor]

Japanese carpentry must be the Pinnacle of the trade Your videos are educational, informative, and interesting even for an old technician / mechanic like me - so thanks for sharing I'm just wondering about your relationship with Keanu? A younger brother or cousin?

[@pihermoso11]

They should make an anime regarding Japanese carpentry, with a master villain vs an old master with both their students fighting too

[@thecarpentrylife]

Hahaha, Kanna Kid!

[@aqilikram7611]

2:59 you don't choose the stone, stone choose you xD

[@JoeSimmerman]

Do they “resurface” the beam surface between competitors? It seems like waviness and variable thickness could build up and propagate over successive passes. Or also be cancelled out, but hard to predict.

[@thecarpentrylife]

The beams are smoothed by the competitors. You have multiple pulls if you want. There is no machinery to resurface at the events. Just hand planes.

[@msumungo]

I honestly think in the very last competition (hitting a nail with a hammer) the hammer head was waxed :) I waxed my workmates hammer heads as a joke, and once they figured it out they waxed my hammer head when I was not looking :DDD

[@jacklarson6281]

the beam looked like yellow cedar, and the fact that the young lady said it smells amazing adds to that conclusion. I can't remember what cedar is in Japanese, going to have to look it up

[@thecarpentrylife]

It’s a Hinoki, Japanese cypress. They smell really good.

[@antoniogonzaganeto958]

Boa tarde, muito legal vosso vídeo ajuda muito mesmo obrigado de Manaus Amazonas Brasil saudações Gonzaga.

[@sharukhmatekuki5830]

Nice 👍🏻👍🏻 🇮🇳 Kuki 25|06|2022

[@Timothylaing]

Awesome video. What wood are they planing?

[@thecarpentrylife]

They are using Hinoki wood.

[@zenjiroumatsushima2086]

幅広鉋。鉋屑素晴らしいですね。これだったら、生き節の面も何のそのでしょうね。無地ばかりでは拍子抜け。明治の職人、もこもこって鉋屑出していました。刃の調整（研ぎ）が素晴らしいですね。私は、青砥結構厚かったが　素人（駆け出し1年）なので、たちまち消耗しちまいました。勿体ない。それから、人造砥石で回りだした。天井板の削りもみたいですね。結構汗だくになって削りましたもの。今では、超仕上げ。味気ない。！！！。

[@alessandrosuppini943]

Amazing, thank you so much for sharing this, out of curiosity how wide was the blade of the huge kanna used in the competition?

[@megacyka]

I'm looking to attend the Kezuroukai in Hokkaido this October. As a non-competing attender, would I need to pay admission fee or put a reservation?

[@thecarpentrylife]

No admission or reservation. You just show up. We’ll be there too tho.

[@danielgauthier6708]

What kind of wood they use for this compétition ?

[@thecarpentrylife]

They are all Hinoki wood.

[@alesharajunaidusadhanala5742]

👍🤝👌

[@colingenge9999]

looks interesting but impossible to read the captions for three reasons. writing in all capitals is twice as hard to read compared to upper and lower case. Having one color over and alternating background is also hard to read; if you could put the caps into a box or choose a different color such as white letters and black outlines they would be easier to read. The font is also very tall compared to its width which also makes it harder to read. All in all I tried really hard to read it and then give up even though the topic looks very interesting.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thanks for your comment. We’ll consider it.

[@JoshIbbotson]

@@thecarpentrylife for reference, I didn't think was an issue, I didn't even notice they were capitalised until coming to this comment.

[@UnbreakableM1nd]

7:50 So is that how they make the public washroom toilet papers?

[@thecarpentrylife]

Hahaha probably :)

[@theeastman9136]

Kannas are planes, not planers. Planers are machines.

[@nobnobnobnob]

my best was 1.2mm

[@kkmaruwa2176]

ラモーンズTシャツ着て墨壺彫られちゃかなわねーよｗ

[@Teleman01]

I was in Japan recently. Amazing place. I just wish they wouldn't make you wear a mask everywhere at this point. It's just beyond annoying. I felt like I couldn't really take in Japan because I felt like I was in a gigantic hospital with all the masks everywhere.

[@gerryholden]

In English English they are called planes not planers

[@andrewlawrence990]

So silly