Essential English: The Complete Japanese Joinery (Sato & Nakahara, tr. Koichi Paul Nii, Hartley & Marks 1995)—397 pages on tool care, layout, cutting, and assembly. Highly rated. Japanese Woodworking Tools (Toshio Odate)—tool selection, sharpening, tradition. The Art of Japanese Joinery (Kiyosi Seike)—architectural context.
Kumiko: Desmond King's Shoji and Kumiko Design series—Book 1 covers basics, three shoji projects, and asa-no-ha. Book 2 has 40+ patterns, 500+ photos. Books 3–4 cover hexagonal and diamond patterns. Projects can be done with Western tools.
Japanese: Nihon Kenchiku no Komono, Sashigane no Tsukaikata. Difficulty: beginner (Odate, King Book 1), intermediate (Sato, Seike), advanced (King Books 2–4). Available via specialty retailers and interlibrary loan.
Research library
Book recommendations
Curated English and Japanese titles with difficulty ratings and focus areas.