Tokyo Asakusabashi: Japanese dance rehearsal hall restoration work

This job was introduced to me by architect Fumihiko Sano, a colleague of mine from my time at Nakamura Toji Construction. When Mr. Sano was appointed as the Cultural Envoy of the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2016, he renovated the ceiling and floor of the rehearsal hall of Mr. Ranko Fujima, who was also appointed. The difficulty was that there were no ready-made solid wood veneer ceiling panels for the 45 cm wide ceiling panels in the front parlor of the practice hall, so the precious wood store asked a manufacturing company in Akita to make 10 panels over a period of 20 days. Also, the sound that a cypress stage makes when you step on it is important, so the thickness of the boards, the spacing between the joists, and the way they are fastened with blind nails are important. The highlight is the scent of Bishu Hinoki and the fact that 40 pieces were carved with a plane to become a mirror board.

Business: Ceiling board replacement, floor board replacement

Location: Tokyo Asakusabashi

​Construction: Sagara Construction

Completion: September 2017