Toyota and Nissan are designing cars the way monks once built sacred temples

Japanese brands Toyota and Nissan have decided to completely flip the world of car crafting.

The car industry is ever-evolving, with robots and technology taking center stage.

Nissan and Toyota are often at the cutting edge of industry, always innovating.

But the Japanese brands have also reverted to traditional Japanese woodwork in recent years.

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Brands such as Toyota and Nissan are often associated with one word: innovation.

The Japanese car industry is often at the forefront of most evolution and development that people see.

This trend has been a near-constant for almost 50 years.

The 1970s saw the country almost single-handedly become the leaders of the car world.

Small, economical, well-built, and well-designed cars found themselves massively in demand.

And it was the Japanese who were ahead of the curve on that front.

For a nation so forward-thinking, brands like Toyota and Nissan very much appreciate Japan’s heritage.

And those two marques, in particular, have produced some stunning concept cars in that vein over the years.

In case you are unaware, the history of construction in the country is very fascinating.

Unlike America and Europe, Japan has never had access to a regular supply of high-quality iron.

It means that the Asian country has never really been able to produce nails to hold things together.

Naturally, the Japanese used this as an opportunity to innovate.

Instead of nailing wood together, Japanese craftsmen used various joinery techniques.

Thick and durable pieces of wood were crafted and shaped into interlocking blocks, beams, and panels.

Japan’s traditional temples and shrines serve as living examples of this stunning, innovative craftsmanship.

One look up into the rafters will show you the incredibly heavy wooden beams supported by…each other.

The interlocking designs allow these intricate, difficult designs to endure for a very long time.

Toyota and Nissan often pay homage to Japan’s woodworking heritage.

Nissan, for example, debuted its XMotion concept car at the North American International Auto Show in 2018.

The highlight of this creation was the center console, made from cedar wood and installed using joinery techniques that go back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Toyota took the woodworking tribute even further back in 2016.

Milan Design Week saw Toyota unveil the Setsuna concept car, and it truly wowed everybody.

This roadster was crafted entirely from wood, with interlocking components beneath the surface, fastening them to the body.

Toyota consulted seasoned, expert woodworkers in order to put the Setsuna concept car together.

It must be said that Toyota and Nissan have done an excellent job in recognizing their heritage.