From Sushi-Wielding Samurai to Traditional Floats: Japanese Wood-carving from Maeda Woodworks

This sushi-wielding samurai is just the tip of the iceberg that is Maeda Woodworks!

The masterfully carved wooden samurai figure clutching the large piece of sushi over his shoulder caught our attention but this is far from the only impressive piece Maeda Akihiko and his team has done. 

In fact, pieces like these are not necessarily their usual work! 

Let’s dive into the world of Japanese wood-carving and danjiri - Japanese wooden floats!

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Maeda Akihiko is a wood-carving craftsman based in Osaka with 24 years of experience including 10 years of training and 14 since founding Maeda Woodcarving Studio - now a company called Maeda Woodworks. 

Not only is this Akihiko’s dream job, but he continues to expand his efforts outward, both across Japan and overseas. He states that:

“I wanted to be involved in Japan’s culture and art, promoting [it] to the world.”

- Maeda Akihiko (source)

Let’s take a look at their work that does just that. 

Danjiri

Akihiko and his team mainly make だんじり danjiri which are traditional wooden floats used in festivals, as well as other types of similar floats. (The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival in Osaka is one of the most famous of these danjiri festivals, mainly located in the Kansai region.) Danjiri itself has about 300 years of history. He and his team travel around Japan creating and fixing danjiri for various festivals throughout the year. 

What does a danjiri look like? The size might surprise you!

A danjiri is about 4 meters tall and about 3 to 4 tons in weight. It can take 2 to 3 years to completely finish carving one! 

And if you look at the details and care needed to carve each part, it’s easy to see why. 

And when they're not creating a danjiri from scratch, they are often repairing and fixing up danjiri so that it's ready for the annual festivals. Thus they've built up relationships with local communities and danjiri committees over the years. After all, there are not that many wood-carving danjiri technicians that have the experience and training required to handle such intricate and traditional work!

As for a glimpse into their tools, they have around 120 chisels they use for work. 

And what does danjiri even look like in motion at the festivals? Here’s a great example!

This is a danjiri used at the Yattashou Danjiri Festival that Akihiko and his team worked on!

Look at how fast it moves! Look up danjiri festivals in Japan - held in both spring and autumn - if you'd like to see them in person!

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Carvings

Besides working on danjiri, here are other wooden carvings Akihiko and his team has done, including the samurai sushi introduced above! 

Some of these projects are for exhibitions, while others are customers’ requests. 

Qilin

A Qilin is a Chinese mythological creature, sometimes called a unicorn when translated into English, that looks like a mix between a dragon and a horse (sometimes a deer or ox instead). It's called Kirin in Japanese. The careful notches for the scales and the wavy feature of the tail and base all contribute to making this impressive mystical creature.

Samurai on a Horse

This figure was carved as a Children’s Day gift. The samurai is based on Sanada Yukimura, a heroic warrior during the Sengoku Period and someone considered one of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s biggest rivals. His fierce side is captured amazingly.

You can see many other samurai carvings on Maeda Woodwork’s official Instagram. 

Family Carving 

This was also a client request to portray their family as their respective zodiac animals with a danjiri float. The mother is on top of the danjiri, while the father pushes from behind and their sons pull the float forward. 

Sumo Wrestler

This sumo wrestler carving was made for the Japanese Today’s Art Exhibition in Spain Exhibition. It is now on display in Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki in Chiba. You can feel the power of the sumo wrestler in this figure. 

Joan of Arc

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And here is a beautiful carving of Joan of Arc or Jeanne d'Arc in French. It was displayed at Château de Lavardens and is still in France today. 

Other Projects

Akihiko and his team have also done some fun projects that fall into neither category above, and we’ve picked out some of our favorites. 

How about a fun takoyaki-o-lantern for a delicious Kansai twist on Halloween? 

They even light up!!

They’ve even done collaborations with foreign designers like Carole Baijings. They worked together to produce these beautiful plates made from hinoki wood.

And how about a bit of pop culture with the replica of the sword Kakaru Kumo Naki from Monster Hunter. 

The sword was a joint project with other artists and took 3 years to complete. Akihiko mainly handled the scabbard. It was displayed in Sakai, Osaka in 2022.

Household Items

They are also open to being consulted about most wood-related projects, even ones for home. 

Here are some fun ones we spotted in their impressive repertoire. 

You can have a unique dining room table carved for you.

You can get household items like a beautiful pair of chopsticks.

Or a beautiful coaster, which you can purchase at their online shop! 

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In Closing

Maeda Akihiko and his team have such a wide range of wood-carving projects under their belt - from traditional danjiri to wooden sculptures, and even household items. 

Make sure to check out Maeda Woodwork’s Japanese and English websites. 

You can also see past and current projects on Twitter and Instagram. (While their official Instagram has photos of finished projects, check out Maeda Akihiko’s personal Instagram account for current projects and behind the scenes shots of their work.)

And of course, take a look at their official shop if you’re interested in getting something for yourself!

Photos provided courtesy of Maeda Akihiko and Maeda Woodworks (linktree).