WATCH: Traditional Japanese Building Goes Up Without A Single Nail

The construction of this traditional Japanese building uses a method that was established ages ago and is still extremely effective and pretty awesome today. While modern technology and tools make it easier to construct buildings quicker, there is something to be said for the level of expert craftsmanship it requires to erect a structure without the use of nails like the traditional Japanese building in this video.

The video was posted by ArtisanVideos on their Reddit thread and we can’t help but to be amazed at how incredibly intricate the construction of this building is. According to Nerdist.com, “The original YouTube video belongs to a Japanese construction company that, if Google Translate can be trusted, specializes in the traditional form of Japanese carpentry known as Miyadaiku.”

Instead of using nails to support the enormous wooden planks, the traditional form of Japanese carpentry uses an intricate system of wooden joints and wooden pegs in order to secure the structure together. This method of carpentry is also supposed to be incredibly long-lasting. “Utilizing wood that matches the climate where the buildings are made ensures that it can stand the test of time (since it’s already surviving there in tree form) and the use of wooden pegs to keep everything together harnesses wood’s forgivable and pliable nature,” reports Nerdist.com.

Although the use wooden pegs and joints instead of nails looks and sounds really cool, it’s not just for style. The pegs and joints are used in order to reduce the amount of stress placed upon a structure that occurs where nails are used. “A nail is basically a simple wedge stuck in between the cellulose fibers of a piece of wood which are springy enough to push back on the nail thus keeping it stuck where you hammered it in. When a more forgiving and pliable wooden peg or wedge is used, that push-back goes both ways and isn’t as unrelenting on the structure.”

What do you think of this Japanese method of carpentry?