KASHIWAGI KAICHIRO'S CAREER AND HIS HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Abstract

KASHIWAGI Kaichiro (1841-1898) had succeeded to a hereditary position as the head carpenter of the "Kobushingurai", a construction department of the Tokugawa government, however after the Meiji Restoration he lost the position. Then he was involved in museum administration to protect Japanese cultural assets and furthermore built many Japanese style residences as an independent carpenter. The aim of this study is to make KASHIWAGI's career clear and to locate his achievements within the historical framework by considering his role as skillfull carpenter and the features of his works.