Jason Forster

Jason began his love affair with Japanese hand tools and joinery in 2015 as Kezurou-Kai USA's (www.kezuroukai.us) inaugural event in Oakland, CA. Since then, he has participated as a presenter and competitor at every national event. Jason took home first place in the shaving competition in 2025. Jason joined the Board of Directors of Kez USA in 2021 and was elected Vice President in 2026. 

Two years after his first Kez USA meeting, Jason became an apprentice to Oakland daiku Jay van Arsdale, building over 70 bonsai display benches for the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt. Prior to becoming a woodworker, Jason was a postdoctoral fellow in materials science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He holds a Ph.D. in soft matter physics from Yale University, where he researched the structural color of bird feathers. He holds several patents related to thermoelectricity and nanoscience.

After finishing his apprenticeship with Jay, Jason worked at a number of woodworking outfits including The Craftsman Door Company in Martinez, CA, and Joinery Structures in Oakland, CA. 

Jason now works as a carpenter with Hermitage Woodworks (www.hermit.works) in Richmond, CA. Hermitage Woodworks specializes in traditional Japanese garden structures, gates, and interior architectural remodels. 

On Saturdays, Jason is proud to teach Traditional Japanese Hand Tools and Joinery courses alongside his mentor, Jay, at Laney Community College in Oakland, CA.