Joinery examples

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Examples of a few (mostly) Japanese joints created in Jay van Arsdale's Japanese Joinery class at Laney College, Oakland, CA and some I tried on my own. Figure out the process on practice joints and scrap wood. 

 I also urge you to get a copy of this book. It contains a lot of information on joinery and and has measured drawings of many. 

2024 Update: This book appears to be out of print and the used prices are very high online. You may have to look hard to find it at a good price.   


The Complete Japanese Joinery by Hideo Sato, Yasua Nakahara and Koichi Paul Nii (1995)


And the late Chris Hall had put together some great books on Japanese joinery and the methods, measurements, and math behind them.      https://thecarpentryway.blog/author/kurisuhoru/


Haunched mortise & tenon on shoji frame. 

Bridle joint variation

Bridle joint variant from side.

Kanawa-tsugi joint (6"x6" post)

boxed and mitered mortise and tenon

boxed and mitered M&T assembly

Shitagekama joint (half-dovetail locked with wedge)

Shitagekama disassembled
Shachi-tsugi joins two horizontal beams to a post.
Top of beam. Keys not trimmed flush yet. 
Tapered keys tighten joint.

Beam ends are also partly mortised into post to support load. 
Google saoshachitsugi for details at JAANUS site.


Mitered (or secret) blind dovetail.
Widely used in Japanese tansu and sashimono.


inside the mitered blind dovetail

Female half of a kama-hozo-kumi (鎌ほぞ組) variant. 

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