ACC grantee Douglas Brooks, craftsman and Japanese boat specialist and author of the comprehensive survey "Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding," will be speaking at the Japan Society on May 10. He will be sharing what he discovered on his journey to fishing villages around Japan, where he interviewed elderly master boat builders and, in six cases, became their last apprentice. Japan's hand-crafted wooden boats, admired for their timeless beauty and precise construction, have a rich history in the island nation. Fearing that the techniques, designs and secrets of this trade might disappear within one or two generations, craftsman and Japanese boat specialist Douglas Brooks embarked on a quest to preserve and document these time-honored traditions. Moderated by Dane Owen, founder and owner of Shibui Japanese Antiques and Furniture.

Brooks received ACC fellowships for his research on traditional boatbuilding in Japan and Taiwan.