Douglas Brooks has been the Last (and Only) Apprentice to many Japanese boatbuilders

Douglas Brooks joins the show again this month to talk about his 10th apprenticeship with a traditional Japanese boatbuilder in Hiroshima as well as other projects in 2026. His backstory is that he had a roommate from Hiroshima at University and when he first visited Japan as a backpacker he got bored of the typical sightseeing, but fascinated by wooden traditional Japanese boats he found his way into an apprenticeship. This has led to 9 apprentices with traditional wooden boatbuilders in Japan - often as their only and last apprentice before they retire. https://www.douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com/