Ever since I moved into my host family's house, I've noticed this strange recess in the living room ceiling. I didn't have the occasion to ask about it until today when I was talking with my host mother about how my host father built the house. It turns out this is a leftover space from where the stairs used to be, but more interestingly, it was left unfinished on purpose.
It is a tradition among carpenter's in Japan to leave a project slightly unfinished for good luck. It's thought that once a project is 100% completed, something bad is bound to happen, so by leaving a job 95% complete, this bad thing can be avoided. Even in his professional work, my host father leaves small unseen details unfinished. For example, he often does not completely finish painting areas such as attics where people are unlikely to go. If a customer asks why he hasn't finished a small part of a job he explains this traditional carpenter wisdom.
I think I may apply this technique to the essay I have to write soon, can you imagine what sort of bad things might happen if I actually finished it?
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