This study aims to describe the expansion process of the do-it-yourself (DIY)/Sunday Carpenter in Japan. DIY is generally defined as an activity of making, repairing, or decorating objects in homes by the owners themselves. DIY became popular with the concept of the “Sunday Carpenter,” with carpentry as a hobby popular among males, largely due to the contribution of cartoonist Kikuo Matsushita during the 1960 to 1970s in Japan. Matsushita established the Japan DIY Club as a fellowship of professional entertainers and celebrities in 1960. The club recruited general members in 1969; its membership grew to 45,000 by 1973. Matsushita has made three major contributions. First, he frequently appeared on television and magazines and presented on DIY/Sunday Carpenter. Second, influenced by the UK concept, he claimed and settled his original ideas of “achieving both hobby and profit” and “resistance against industrialization and regaining humanity” in Japanese DIY/Sunday Carpenter. Third, he valued the connection and interaction between the club and the DIY industry and intended to create a new business model by organizing club members and retailers. The study follows the trail of Matsushita and the Japan DIY Club through the bulletin magazine of the club and examines the description and position of the growing population of Japanese DIYers at the time.
