Business Details
41 Years
experience
Expert Japanese Architectural Design & Custom Woodworking
Established in 1985, Ki Arts represents the work of Hiroshi Sakaguchi, a master Japanese carpenter with over 45 years of experience. Our mission is to bring the highest quality Japanese architectural design and woodworking to the West, blending traditional techniques with Western architectural needs. Specializing in post-and-beam construction without nails or screws, we create custom Japanese interiors, garden structures, and fine furniture that embody centuries-old craftsmanship.Our team pre-fabricates components at our Northern California workshop before assembling them on-site, ensuring precision and authenticity in locations worldwide. With expertise in adapting traditional Japanese design to modern lifestyles, we serve private residences, public parks, temples, and commercial spaces across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
Services
Japanese Gates
Garden Structures
Fine Furniture
Tansu Dressers
Shrines
Ofuro Soaking Tubs
Tearooms
Bathing Rooms
Pergolas
Torii Gates
Details
- Year established: 1985
Highlights and features
- We offer 45+ years of expertise in traditional Japanese joinery techniques
- Our family-run business has specialized in East-West design integration since 1985
- We use premium Port Orford cedar and authentic hand-planing methods
- Our work spans 12+ countries including private residences and Buddhist temples
- We maintain strict quality control through workshop pre-fabrication processes
Services
Japanese Gates
Custom-designed Japanese entrance gates (mon) crafted using traditional joinery techniques. These structures combine aesthetic beauty with functional durability, serving as welcoming focal points for homes and gardens. Each gate incorporates authentic Japanese proportions and design elements adapted to site-specific requirements while maintaining structural integrity through hand-cut wooden joints.
Garden Structures
Handcrafted garden pavilions, curved bridges (taikobashi), and pergolas (fujidana) constructed with traditional Japanese woodworking methods. These elements blend seamlessly into both formal Japanese gardens and mixed-style landscapes, featuring weather-resistant materials and joinery systems that withstand environmental stresses while maintaining visual harmony with natural surroundings.
Fine Furniture
Artisan-crafted Japanese furniture including tea tables (chabudai) and storage chests (tansu) using solid wood frames connected by intricate joinery. Each piece combines functional design with decorative elements, showcasing the natural grain of premium cedar woods finished with natural oils or lacquer to enhance longevity and aesthetic appeal.
Shrines
Custom Buddhist shrines (butsudan) and Shinto altars (kamidana) created with precise attention to traditional proportions and sacred design principles. These devotional spaces incorporate detailed woodwork and symbolic elements, serving as spiritual focal points for homes and temples while maintaining structural integrity through time-tested construction methods.
Ofuro
Handcrafted rectangular wooden soaking tubs (ofuro) made from premium cedar species. These bathing vessels preserve traditional Japanese bathing culture through precise joinery techniques that ensure watertight construction without metal fasteners, available in custom sizes to accommodate various installation requirements while maintaining authentic aesthetic principles.
People
Hiroshi Sakaguchi
Master Carpenter
Traditionally trained Japanese carpenter with 45+ years of experience in authentic joinery techniques. Specializes in adapting traditional Japanese design to Western architectural contexts while preserving centuries-old craftsmanship methods passed down through generations in his family.
Ann Gerber Sakaguchi
Co-Founder
Business partner and co-founder who manages client communications and operations for Ki Arts. Collaborates with Hiroshi Sakaguchi to ensure project coordination and maintain the company's vision of authentic Japanese design integration since 1985.
Questions
What services does Ki Arts specialize in?
Ki Arts creates custom Japanese architectural elements including interiors, gates, garden structures, and fine furniture using traditional joinery techniques without nails or screws.
Where does Ki Arts operate?
While based in Northern California, we serve clients across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan for both residential and commercial projects.
How do you integrate Japanese design with Western architecture?
We adapt traditional post-and-beam systems to 2x4 construction methods while maintaining aesthetic integrity, including modifications like horikotatsu floor recesses for Western seating comfort.
What materials do you use?
We primarily use Port Orford cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, and Western red cedar selected for quality and suitability to traditional Japanese construction standards.
How are projects commissioned?
Contact us to discuss your vision, receive a preliminary sketch and price range, then proceed to detailed design and construction phases with site visits as needed.
What makes your work unique?
Our master carpenter's 45+ years of training in Japan preserves centuries-old techniques while adapting designs to modern functional requirements and building codes.
