Traditional Woodworking in Japan—Interview with Mechtild Mertz

Realizing the scarcity and necessity of published sources on the practical aspect of traditional woodcraft in Japan, Dr. Mechtild Mertz undertook study project based on in-depth interviews with Japanese wood craftsmen specializing in traditional woodworking. She completed the book “Wood and Traditional Woodworking in Japan” based on the study. In the interview with the IWCS, she talks about the book and gives insights to related topics.

Trained as a cabinetmaker and furniture restorer in Germany, Mechtild Mertz has a background in Japanese Studies and East Asian Art History. She also studied wood anatomy at the Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VII). While pursuing a PhD in ethnobotany at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, she stayed in Japan to interview wood craftsmen with the support from Kyoto University’s Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere. Currently, she is a guest research fellow at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, and an associate researcher at the East Asia Civilisations Research Centre (CRCAO) in Paris.

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