The culture and technology of Japanese wood structures is well-known in the world.However,the development of Japanese wood structures has experienced many up and down periods,especially during the period of reconstruction following natural disasters such as destructive earthquakes and typhoons.This paper summarizes the Japanese literature of wood structures and the observations of the author’s two visits to Japan.Hopefully,the history and development of Japanese wood structures will provide useful information for Chinese researchers in developing Chinese wood product specifications and structural standards.