A new wooden boat center in Japan

Lake Biwako is located just to the east of Kyoto. It is the biggest lake in Japan. In the northwest corner of Biwako is the new city of Takashima, the result of recent consolidation of six smaller towns and villages around the lake. The area is called "oku-biwako" which means Inner-Biwako. Truly, it is an inner-circle of this outstanding lake. Though Japan's express trains can bring people here from major cities within hours, the area still has an atmosphere of Old Japan: slow traffic, a more traditional lifestyle and old roads lined with pine trees. The water's of the northern lake are still clean and transparent.

The Adogawa runs through the city. From it's mouth, paddling along the reedy shore, Kizuhama has the remains of an old port and a stone lighthouse along its shallow half-moon bay. And a new wooden boat center is here. Actually, it is not a new center. The building is the town's old "waterbird watching center". We are starting a new project: to re-organize the waterbird facilities and start a new wooden boat center.
The area is a designated wetland in the Ramsar Convention. Many waterbirds come and spend in the winter. Paddling along the shore, near the old fisherman's traps is quite an experience, and the prevailing north-west winds from the surrounding mountains create a beautiful evening sail.

There were beautiful traditional Japanese boats in Lake Biwako. Like many other traditional wooden boats in this country, many of them are just abandoned and approaching total disappearance. Last autumn, I had a chance to travel with Douglas Brooks, who is a wasen researcher/builder. We instantly found three wasen that were abandoned along the coast of the lake. We took lines off one boat, and recorded it with a digital camera.
It is sad that there are very, very few Japanese organizations who really care about these lost traditions, and scholors seem only to care about written records. it is still hard for them to understand the importance of the living tradition like boatbuilding. Hopefully our center will be able to face these issues. I also think amateur builders can play a key roll in the preservation of Japan's traditional boatbuilding culture.

We wish to organize workshops of international exchange of boatbuilding in this new center in the near future.