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00:00Now, the craftsmen are on their way to the next country from Palo Alto.
00:11Where did the wagons heading north go?
00:18Romania, a country with a medieval townscape.
00:22The capital of Bucharest is also known as the Eastern Empire of Paris.
00:28Among the wagons that run through Romania, there is a conversation like this.
00:34How many times have I been here? I think it's my third time.
00:36You are also the third time, right?
00:37Yes, I'm the third time.
00:39I remember it was very cold.
00:42I was born in the South Pole, so I only feel cold.
00:47We visited the Maramureş region, which is close to the border of Ukraine, north of Romania.
00:55Rich forests have spread in this region, and the culture of living with trees has been inherited from ancient times.
01:05In the town, there are rare wooden houses in Europe.
01:10The wooden church army, which is also a pride of the local people, is also registered as a World Heritage Site.
01:18In fact, six years ago, the craftsmen's wagons visited this village.
01:24They were asked to repair the wagons to keep the good old tradition.
01:30What are they going to do?
01:41Welcome. We've been waiting for you.
01:45I'm the mayor, George.
01:48There is a place that I would like you to repair.
01:54Please take a look at that place.
02:01What was in front of the mayor was unexpected.
02:09This is what I want you to repair this time.
02:14What is this?
02:17This is a traditional wooden washing machine in Romania.
02:23Is this a washing machine?
02:26Yes, this is a wooden washing machine that has been used by the villagers for a long time.
02:37The water is drawn from the river, and the wood is processed into a clay.
02:44By dropping water from a high position, a strong water flow is generated and washed.
02:52It is a traditional washing machine that is environmentally friendly and does not use detergent or electricity.
03:03In fact, this washing machine played a very important role.
03:09In this village, people have been making carpets for a long time.
03:14There are many people who make mold on carpets.
03:19This washing machine is a must for making carpets.
03:28The traditional products of this village,
03:32such as carpets and rugs made of wool,
03:37are the source of income for the villagers.
03:48The most important process in the production of such famous products
03:53is to tighten the fibers with a washing machine and shrink them.
03:58Wool 100% satin is the same principle as shrinking when washed.
04:06By washing and drying the carpets and rugs that have just been folded many times,
04:12they shrink, tighten, and have a beautiful finish.
04:22It was an essential washing machine for making famous products.
04:27It was broken by a flood two years ago, so I can't use it anymore.
04:36The washing machine was broken by a flood two years ago.
04:43Now, the mill is also in a state of disrepair.
04:49The repair request this time is to revive the important washing machine of the village.
04:57The craftsmen are about to start working.
05:03Then...
05:06Are you the craftsmen from Japan?
05:09Are you the craftsmen from Japan?
05:18The women who were using the washing machine came.
05:23I heard that you will repair the washing machine.
05:27Thank you very much.
05:30We have been making carpets for generations.
05:34However, the number of carpets that can be made has decreased since this washing machine became unusable.
05:42We are in trouble because our income has also decreased.
05:46Now we are washing on this river.
05:50It's so cold.
05:53Now that there is no washing machine,
05:56the only way to shrink the carpets is to do it on the river.
06:01The temperature is below zero.
06:04The hands are frozen.
06:06Under the freezing cold sky,
06:09they sink the carpets into the water over and over again.
06:13The work continued for more than an hour.
06:17If there was a washing machine, they would be free from this work.
06:24It's hard.
06:28The craftsmen also help with the work.
06:31Is it heavy?
06:33No, it's cold.
06:35It's hard to walk.
06:38It's heavy.
06:41After a long time of work,
06:44the hands turn red and freeze.
06:50And the villagers have one more wish.
06:54In the old days, more people used to gather here.
06:59While waiting for the washing to be done,
07:03they talked about various things.
07:06I hope we can gather again.
07:11Making carpets was a fun job.
07:16The washing machine was also a place of love.
07:20They want to regain their happiness.
07:24When I tried it,
07:28I didn't think it would be this hard.
07:32I want to repair it well.
07:35To save the villagers,
07:37the craftsmen face two problems.
07:41The repair of the worn-out washing machine
07:45and the revival of the place of love.
07:49Will the craftsmen be able to overcome these problems?
07:55First, the repair of the washing machine.
07:58Not a drop of water is flowing now.
08:01To find out the cause,
08:04they follow the waterway.
08:07Mud and driftwood washed away by the flood
08:11were blocking the waterway.
08:13They have to fix the waterway.
08:16We have to fix it.
08:21The washing machine needs water.
08:25First, the craftsmen fix the broken waterway.
08:38But it's harder than they thought.
08:41It takes a few days to repair the place of love.
08:46They can't make it back in time.
08:49The craftsmen are in despair.
08:52Then...
08:54What's this?
08:56What?
08:59What's this?
09:01What?
09:04What's this?
09:07What's going on?
09:09It's the fate of the village.
09:12We'll help you.
09:15We'll help you.
09:21The mayor called the villagers as his assistants.
09:27Let's go.
09:32Okay.
09:39Hey, let's go.
09:43Now they have 100 people.
09:46They leave the waterway to the assistants.
09:49The craftsmen go to fix the washing machine.
09:52But there is a big problem with this repair.
09:59There is still a problem with this washing machine.
10:03The water level of the river has dropped in the past few years.
10:08Even if we fix the waterway, the original water pressure may not return.
10:15I want you to power up the water pressure somehow.
10:22If they don't power up the water pressure, the repair won't succeed.
10:27The craftsmen, Toshiyuki Kawahara, will challenge the problem.
10:35Will he succeed?
10:38I've been thinking about it, but the water hasn't flowed yet.
10:43I want to see if it's working.
10:47I want to see if it's working.
10:50There is a washing machine in the neighboring village that is 30 minutes away.
10:58The craftsmen go to the neighboring village to ask for a repair hint.
11:08What's there?
11:09What's there?
11:15It's a washing machine.
11:17It's a washing machine.
11:20The water pressure is higher than expected from a broken washing machine.
11:26The water pressure is high.
11:29It's very high.
11:32The simplest and most effective way to increase the water pressure is to increase the water level and increase the slope.
11:42However, with a broken washing machine...
11:49It's impossible to increase the water level.
11:53It's impossible to increase the water level.
11:56It's impossible to increase the water level.
11:58Because of the terrain, it's impossible to increase the water level.
12:04Because the fence is fixed to the ground, it's difficult to lower it.
12:10It's impossible to lower it.
12:12Without water pressure, the washing machine won't work.
12:16How will Kawahara increase the water level?
12:22What is his strategy?
12:27What Kawahara noticed was...
12:30the drain.
12:34He's going to rebuild all of this.
12:38But what about the new material?
12:45Why is this tree here?
12:47This was a tree before the Seizaisho.
12:53It was a tree that matched the Kangaen.
12:59I asked him to leave it as it was, and he gave it to me.
13:03Kawahara had an idea to increase the water level.
13:09What kind of idea will he come up with?
13:13Kawahara keeps cutting the wood that was in the ideal shape.
13:27What did he come up with?
13:31Two different types of boards.
13:34Kawahara had an idea for this distorted shape.
13:38In order to increase the water pressure,
13:41if you use a hose,
13:44the water pressure will increase.
13:48The entrance is wide,
13:51and the exit is narrow.
13:54The entrance is wide, and the exit is narrow.
13:58It's an image of a hose.
14:01The entrance is wide, and the exit is narrow.
14:04It's an image of a hose.
14:08Kawahara also came up with a way to increase the water pressure.
14:16It's a method called Aligumi.
14:19When the water pressure is high,
14:22you have to be careful not to go up and down.
14:25Aligumi is a method that is used in mass production.
14:28Aligumi is a method that is used in mass production.
14:33Even if there is a lot of water,
14:36Aligumi makes it difficult to come off.
14:39In addition, it increases the water pressure to prevent water leakage.
14:44It is a Japanese technology that is particularly particular about the way it is assembled.
14:51Then,
14:54an unexpected visitor came to Kawahara.
14:58It's a TV camera.
15:01A TV camera?
15:04Actually, this is a report by a local TV station.
15:08It is the top news that Japanese craftsmen are repairing traditional wooden washing machines.
15:15Here is the broadcast.
15:18The craftsmen who came from Japan are repairing traditional washing machines
15:23that are washed with river water in Maramures.
15:27Now, we are repairing the drainage hole where water flows from the washing machine.
15:35The local media is also looking forward to the repair of the wooden washing machine.
15:41This can't fail anymore.
15:44The crew in Romania is interested in Japanese craftsmen.
15:51Wait a minute.
15:53Wait a minute.
15:56Here you are.
15:59It's very thin.
16:02It looks transparent.
16:05This is also a necessary task to increase the water pressure.
16:11If you pour water on the one that is not shaved,
16:17it will be soaked.
16:19If you pour water on the one that is shaved,
16:24it will not be soaked.
16:28If you pour water on the one that is shaved,
16:32it will not be soaked.
16:36Japanese craftsmen show careful and delicate work in any environment.
16:50The wooden washing machine is completed.
16:58It is well assembled.
17:03The water is collected by Japanese craftsmen.
17:07This is the drainage hole of Kawahara-saku.
17:12Will the water pressure rise and the washing machine revive as expected?
17:23The next task is the restoration of Ikoi-no-ba.
17:28The person who will work on it is
17:32Nakamura, a skilled craftsman.
17:36He wants to make Ikoi-no-ba where villagers gather.
17:39What did Nakamura think when he received the request?
17:44I want to make Ikoi-no-ba where villagers gather.
17:48Not a stove, though.
17:51Nakamura saw the water work in Hyoten-ka.
17:55He thought that Ikoi-no-ba should be a space where both the mind and body warm.
18:02The work has begun.
18:05The next task is...
18:28Is this the stone that was carried from the river?
18:32What are you going to make here?
18:35I'm going to make a stove.
18:38But I can't make it in time.
18:41It takes time to make a stove.
18:44It takes time to make a stove.
18:48Moreover, it is necessary to have a special brick called Taika brick for the material.
18:54However, this small village does not have it.
18:58You can make what you don't have.
19:01That is the philosophy of the craftsman wagon.
19:05Nakamura starts working without hesitation.
19:09You can make a stove without time or material.
19:15This is how the wooden frame was completed.
19:19Put the soil, water, and sand in it.
19:35He hits the soil.
19:38He hits the soil again and again.
19:41What is this?
19:44This is called Hanchiku.
19:47It is a technique to harden the soil.
19:50Hanchiku is a technique that has been used since the time when there was no concrete to make walls and walls.
19:59It is a technique that has been used since the time when there was no concrete to make walls and walls.
20:08When there was no concrete in the past,
20:11I couldn't raise it one meter at a time.
20:14I had to go up 10 cm at a time to make the wooden frame.
20:18It is a traditional technique used in Horyuji and Nishinomiya shrines.
20:23It is said to make a stove with this technique.
20:26I don't put so much water in it.
20:29It's better to wait for it to dry.
20:32If there is no brick, you can make a Hanchiku stove.
20:37That's what Nakamura thought.
20:40To make a solid soil wall,
20:43he hits the soil.
20:46He hits the soil again and again.
20:49Even if he hits the soil, it doesn't sink.
20:54The second, third, and fourth steps.
20:58He keeps hitting the soil.
21:03To make a wall with soil,
21:05you need a fire stove and a windproof wall.
21:11I don't know if the soil is solid.
21:15I don't know until I remove the wooden frame.
21:17I don't know until I remove the wooden frame.
21:21What will happen?
21:43It's like a Hanchiku.
21:44It's like a Hanchiku.
21:46The stove part seems to be solid.
21:56He heats the fire to make it even drier.
22:06Next is the windproof part.
22:09He carefully removes the wooden frame.
22:17It's beautiful.
22:30If it's completely dry,
22:32you can see how solid it is.
22:38He uses a Hanchiku technique
22:41that has been passed down since ancient times.
22:44The fire stove is complete.
22:46However,
22:48something unexpected happens to Nakamura.
22:53This is the worst.
23:00The windproof soil wall
23:03collapses.
23:08The windproof wall collapses.
23:27Time is
23:29too short.
23:35What are you going to do with the wall?
23:38I'll think about it.
23:45Even though the soil wall was piled up high,
23:48the drying time was short.
23:51This is the worst.
23:53The craftsman was too impatient.
23:55He made a mistake.
23:58What will Nakamura do?
24:08At that time,
24:10Kikuchi was also facing a request
24:13from the villagers to build a place for love.
24:17He decided to build a place for love
24:20in this desolate place.
24:22What is Kikuchi's plan?
24:25What are you going to make?
24:27In summer,
24:29I want to make a gentle shade.
24:31I want to make it snowy or rainy.
24:34It's Azuma.
24:36Kikuchi said he would build
24:38Azuma, a place for love in Japan,
24:40in Romania, the land of the East.
24:45However,
24:47there is a problem
24:49that even Kikuchi, a skilled carpenter, is worried about.
24:52There is a lot of sand.
24:56The washing machine was made in the middle of the river.
24:58The washing machine was made in the middle of the river.
25:02The floor is rough.
25:04The floor is rough.
25:07Even the bridge is not level.
25:14On this rough floor,
25:16on this rough floor,
25:18can the villagers build
25:20an Azuma-ya
25:22where they can live in peace?
25:28First, he builds a pillar to make a frame.
25:34What did Kikuchi start to process?
25:38It was a long piece of wood.
25:43Then,
25:45what?
25:48A Romanian is watching Kikuchi's work from a close distance.
25:53Who is this person?
25:56Adi, my fan.
25:59Kikuchi's fan.
26:01Best fan.
26:05Actually,
26:07when he visited Romania in 2018,
26:10he asked Adi to repair the furniture.
26:15The precious kitchen wagon that his grandmother gave him
26:20was repaired by a Japanese craftsman.
26:26By adding a drawer-type table,
26:34he fulfilled Adi's wish to have a bigger one.
26:41He even took care of that.
26:44Japanese craftsmen are amazing.
26:47When he heard that a craftsman was coming to Romania again,
26:51he rushed to the site.
26:55Japanese craftsmen are rare to see.
27:00Many Romanians came to see him.
27:20He smoothens the surface with a planer.
27:23He spends more than half a day on this work.
27:27He is patient and careful.
27:30He is a Japanese craftsman.
27:33After preparing the material, he processes it.
27:38However, there is a big problem here.
27:44In Japan, we have lasers and labels,
27:48but we don't have them here.
27:51To build a pillar on uneven ground,
27:54it is necessary to measure the horizontal and adjust the length of the pillar.
28:01If the pillar is not level,
28:04the roof will be distorted
28:07and collapse.
28:11In Japan, it is important to use lasers and labels.
28:16This is a difficult task.
28:19In this small village, we don't have lasers and labels.
28:28Then, Kikuchi gets a horse.
28:33What is he going to do?
28:40He makes what he doesn't have.
28:42There is a surprising Japanese craftsmanship.
28:46After this,
28:48there is a huge request from a kindergarten in Bulgaria.
28:53He repairs a bed full of nap rooms.
29:12The next day
29:15He goes back to the place where he used to work as a car mechanic.
29:19The villagers talk to each other
29:22and Kikuchi repairs the bed
29:26as if he is a carpenter.
29:29On the uneven ground,
29:31there is a steep slope
29:33and trees and branches.
29:36In this harsh environment,
29:39can he make a safe bed?
29:42Take back the bed!
29:45Go, wagon!
29:47Go, craftsman!
29:49A wooden washing machine is made in the middle of the river.
29:53The ground is uneven,
29:55so it is not level to build a pillar.
30:01In this small village,
30:03there is no leveler.
30:06Then, Kikuchi gets a horse
30:10and heads to the river.
30:12What is he doing?
30:19He puts a water-filled hose on the pillar.
30:23What is this?
30:25This is called a water-filled pipe.
30:28Water-filled pipe?
30:30Water becomes level no matter where it goes.
30:34Let's check the height.
30:37I will put it on the stone.
30:39I see.
30:41Water becomes level no matter where it goes.
30:45Water-filled pipe uses the principle that water becomes level all the time.
30:50The water of the hose becomes the same height no matter where it goes.
30:55This is the wisdom of a craftsman who uses this to make it level.
31:00More, more, more.
31:02This is a brilliant solution like Kikuchi's.
31:05It is still moving.
31:07Thank you!
31:09Super!
31:14OK.
31:16After the water becomes level,
31:19he adjusts the length of the pillar and processes it.
31:25In winter, there is often a lot of snow in this region.
31:31The roof will fall if the bones of Azumaya are not strong enough.
31:35He builds the pillar more firmly to support the roof.
31:41With the spirit of a craftsman.
31:54I'm sorry.
31:58This is how it was completed.
32:01This is how it was completed.
32:04It is a pillar with a mysterious dent.
32:08In addition, the four pillars are of different lengths.
32:14What kind of Azumaya will be completed?
32:22And finally, he assembles it.
32:25What is the pillar made of?
32:35Two on each side.
32:43And two in front of it.
32:46By changing the length of the pillar depending on where it stands,
32:49Kikuchi calculated that he could assemble Azumaya
32:53even in this place where there is a dent in the ground.
32:58Next, he will work on the part of the roof.
33:05He builds it with a wooden frame called Hozo that he had cut in advance.
33:15It fits perfectly.
33:17It fits perfectly.
33:20And the part where the roof is dented.
33:24Here, too, there is a mysterious shape.
33:28It's called Watariago.
33:30The side is like this.
33:34It's called Watariago.
33:37It's made of a material that can be cut straight.
33:41The traditional technique called Watariago
33:44is used on the roof of shrines.
33:49Kikuchi wanted to make Azumaya
33:52as strong as a flood or snow,
33:55so he chose a stronger way of assembling it.
34:05In a small village in Toho,
34:07Azumaya in Japan will be completed soon.
34:12On the other hand, in a water-free waterway,
34:20the locals learned the Japanese wooden waterway from the craftsmen
34:26and continued to work.
34:33No, not like that.
34:34It should fit here.
34:38Because it is an important washing machine
34:41that is essential for the village's production,
34:45the villagers work together.
34:51Then, the dilapidated waterway
34:55became a beautiful Japanese wooden waterway.
34:58But the water from the river
35:01doesn't flow at all.
35:05The reason is the influence of the flood.
35:10The river's flow is blocked
35:13so the water doesn't flow to the waterway.
35:19The water doesn't flow to the waterway
35:22because the river's flow is blocked.
35:26To make the water flow to the waterway,
35:29they need a lot of work.
35:34If the water doesn't flow,
35:36the washing machine can't be used.
35:38They give up on repairing it.
35:40When they almost gave up,
35:42something incredible happened.
35:45The greatest savior in the history of the craftsmen's wagons,
35:49Chotto Doresugoi.
35:55Chotto Doresugoi
35:59The river's water doesn't flow to the waterway.
36:04If the water doesn't flow,
36:06the washing machine can't be repaired.
36:12They work hard to make the water flow to the waterway,
36:16but it's not that easy.
36:20This is the first time in the history of wagons.
36:24They almost gave up.
36:42Farmers live in the neighborhood.
36:45They ride the wagons they use for work.
36:50They helped them as a helper.
37:00With the power of the washing machine,
37:03they make a huge wall of stones and gravel
37:05to make a way to bring water to the waterway.
37:18The work is done in just a few minutes.
37:22They made a way to bring water to the waterway.
37:35The new water flow.
37:39The Japanese wooden waterway
37:42that the villagers made
37:45also has a long-awaited water.
37:52Will the broken washing machine
37:56come back to life?
38:07All repairs are done.
38:11It's time to show it to the villagers.
38:18Unbelievable.
38:19It's wonderful.
38:29The traditional village washing machine
38:32that was broken by a flood
38:37has come back to life.
38:44Can I use it now?
38:46Can I use it now?
38:57I can wash carpets here again.
39:00Thank you so much.
39:07It's been two years since they washed carpets with a washing machine.
39:12They don't have to worry about their hands getting frozen in the river water anymore.
39:18I feel like the water is more vigorous than before.
39:24With the Japanese craftsmen's skills,
39:27they made a way to the waterway.
39:29The water pressure is higher than ever.
39:32They can wash their clothes well now.
39:36Thank you so much.
39:41The craftsmen also put their heart and soul into the floor.
39:48They made the floor clean, too.
39:52It's much easier to walk now.
39:57Actually, it's not like that.
40:02The floor was so muddy that it was hard to breathe.
40:05So we made a device
40:07to prevent the floor from getting wet.
40:18They repaired the floor of the washing machine, which was in a bad condition.
40:24However, if you look closely at the floor,
40:27there is a gap for some reason.
40:29We made a gap in the middle of the floor
40:33so that the overflowing water can pass under the floor.
40:37The floor of the washing machine, which had become old and muddy,
40:43was replaced with a safe floor with a water-resistant cork-like surface.
40:52There is another ingenuity in the floor near the washing machine.
40:57It's a mountain-like surface, and it's a little curved.
41:01We made it so that the water can flow like this.
41:04It's true that the board is processed like a mountain.
41:08It's hard for the wood to rot because the water flows right into the gap between the boards.
41:14It's a job that pays close attention to the details.
41:20It's wonderful.
41:23That's not the only secret of this washing machine.
41:28By the way, what's that?
41:31It looks warm.
41:34Next to the washing machine,
41:39there is a half-baked kiln made by a skilled craftsman, Nakamura.
41:48The day before that day,
41:53It's the worst.
41:56the piled-up dirt wall collapsed.
42:04Everyone thought it was too late.
42:13But Nakamura didn't give up.
42:19If you fail, you can try again.
42:23By reducing the area of the wall as you go up,
42:27he succeeded in creating a stable dirt wall that would not collapse.
42:31He never gave up.
42:34This is the Japanese craftsman's spirit.
42:38It's warm.
42:42I think I can cook.
42:48I'm looking forward to washing.
42:53And Azumaya, made by Miyadaiku Kikuchi.
42:56Azumaya, made by Miyadaiku Kikuchi.
43:00You made a roof here.
43:05In this place where the villagers thought it was impossible,
43:08a Japanese Azumaya was built.
43:13Now you can wash without getting wet even on rainy or snowy days.
43:20It's like a dream to be able to make a roof.
43:24Thank you very much.
43:27It's very complicated.
43:30It looks cool, too.
43:33Thank you for the wonderful repair.
43:37This will be the place where everyone gathers again.
43:41I won't forget the craftsmen.