Back in early August, as families across Japan were beginning to plan trips to their hometowns during the upcoming Obon holidays, Hannes Schnelle of Sarenseck, Germany, and 26 fellow Europeans were preparing for a Japanese journey of their own.

On their collective packing list: Five drawknives, two pitsaws, 14 thrust axes — and seven each of hatchets and ripsaws.

The brawny group of Germans, English, Belgians, Swedes, Danes and Austrians stepped off their airplane in Tokyo on Aug. 6. Fortunately for the citizens of Japan, their goal was not to stage a low-tech reenactment of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," but rather to join 30 Japanese craftsmen and women in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture for a backwoods building bonanza called the "Chisana Kezurokai" — which roughly translates as: "Mini Let's Plane Together Event."