Neji-gumi Box (Twist Joint) - Koitoya Woodworking Class 2026

Neji-gumi Box - Japanese traditional Twist Joint

This is a 3-day course

$880  

7-9 March, Sat - Mon, 2026

Skill focus class, best for intermediate, beginners welcome.

Step by step learning, breaking down the elements of twist joint.

Using unique had cut angle jig.

Neji-gumi Box

Content

Making a box with Japanese traditional joinery, Neji-gumi, Twist Joint. 

Excellent educational program to learn about handmade joinery, by using a pre-cut teaching kit.

A Chigiri (Butterfly joint) will be used in the timber that forms the lid of the box.

Well suited for intermediate to advanced woodworkers.

Well suited for beginner who wants to start learning about detailed joinery work.

Highly detailed instruction and demonstration.

Neji-Gumi

Neji-Gumi is the name of a traditional joint, using angled joint in 2 ways. Very special and rare to see joints.  "Neji-ru" means to twist. In English, they are called twist joint or with some variation of the design will be called Sunrise joint. 

In the past, I saw a traditional Japanese hibachi using this joinery. Hibachi is a heater, a wooden or ceramic container lined with metal in which charcoal or wood is burned.  So, the structure must be strong to withhold from the heat. They are very strong joinery.

It is one of difficult joinery too, but this program will focus on the basics of the joinery skills, like marking skill, chisel skill, jigs. And how you can apply these basic joinery skills into this Neji Gumi. In the end, it is about learning and upgrading basic skills.

Material you get will be partially pre-cut to start from an easy point and progress step by step, to develop in more difficult elements of the work, as you proceed.

You will gain the following from signing up

1. Exploration of joinery techniques used in building a box
2. Hands-on knowledge about Japanese tools (chisels and saws)
3. Detailed knowledge about Japanese joinery.
4. Inspiration and confidence for your next project

Date

7-9 March 2026 3 days 

Time

Proposed time schedule for each day.

9:00-12:00 | 13:00-17:00

* Please be flexible with the scheduled end to each day of the class. Sometimes your project requires extra time to finish.

Schedule

Day 1

AM: Overview of Project, Foundations of Twist Joint
PM: Commence work on twist joint
Day 2
AM: Continue work on remaining twist joints
PM: Cut butterfly joint
Day 3
AM: Complete work on twist joints, 
PM: Glue Up, Finish

Lecturer

Hiroshi Yamaguchi (KOITOYA Design/Make/Teach)

30 years of experience. Learned in Takayama, Japan.

About Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Fee

$880.00

Class size

Maximum 10

Location

Koitoya Design/Make/Teach (Fyshwick, ACT)

New address

4/18 Maryborough Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609

Parking

Please park your car in the public parking area along Maryborough Street (Free), opposite J Racing.

We have two parking spots officially. Please contact me for the spot if you need to walk less for a health condition.

Way to the workshop

18 Maryborough Street is a battle-axe block, located inside of the block, so you will be walking along the driveway that leads to the block from Maryborough Street.

The driveway has 2 accesses, one next to Ja Racing, and one next to Aqua Safe Water Filters.

Unit 4 is a blue painted building on the right-hand side of the block.

Album from past workshop

Nejigumi Box Making workshop album

Things to bring

Please wear working shoes.

Bring your own water bottle and lunch.

Things to be supplied

Tea and coffee, snacks, filtered water

Refund Policy

Personal cancelation

Refunds up to 30 days before the event

Humanitix fee is nonrefundable.

for more information, please contact Hiroshi

koitoya@gmail.com / 0412340619