Source: Shun Ei – Do

Iiyama Buddhist Altar, a traditional handicraft decorated with three-dimensional gold leaf

Japan has long been strongly influenced by
Buddhism, and Buddhism has been deeply involved in events related to death in
particular. The symbol of this is the Buddhist altar. Although few families
today have large butsudan (Buddhist altars), it was traditional in Japan for
each family to have a butsudan (Buddhist room) to worship their ancestors. For
this reason, butsudan production has been carried out in various regions, but
there are not many industrial bases that are recognized as traditional crafts. Iiyama
in Nagano Prefecture is one of those rare places.

Nationally Unique Butsudan Street in Iiyama

Iiyama Butsudan is built mainly in
Atago-cho, a traditional area in the northern part of Iiyama City with a row of
old-fashioned gangi, a street of about 300 meters lined with 11 butsudan
stores, commonly called “Butsudan Street”, where about 1000 butsudan
are produced every year. There are currently about 150 people working in the
butsudan industry in the city. The city boasts one of the highest production volumes
in Japan. Generally, Asakusa in Tokyo is famous for its butsudan street, but it
is very rare in Japan to have so many craftsmen and butsudan stores gathered on
one street like in Iiyama. Moreover, Asakusa is a downtown area that has always
attracted many customers, but Iiyama is a small regional city with a population
of about 25,000. It is extremely rare to find a shopping district with only
butsudan stores in it.

Source: Iiyama Butsudan Business Cooperative Association

Features

Iiyama butsudan (Buddhist altars) are made
of high-quality wood and decorated with maki-e (high maki-e) lacquer, which,
combined with the beauty of metal fittings and gold leaf, creates a unique
atmosphere not found in other regions of Japan. Another feature of Iiyama
butsudan is the Yumi-nagashi (long-handle bowstring), which is crafted so that
the palace made by the unique technique of elbow wood joinery can be seen
clearly.

History

The origin of Iiyama Butsudan is currently
unknown. One theory is that in 1689, a man named Terase Shigetaka came from
Kofu (in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture) and built an earthen butsudan.

The area around Iiyama City was a
prosperous castle town built during the Warring States Period by Kenshin
Uesugi, who was a great believer in Buddhism and the introduction of the Jodo
Shinshu sect in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573). In addition, it is said that
at that time, bare wooden butsudan (Buddhist altar) was made, which is
different from the appearance of today’s Iiyama butsudan. From the above, it
can be read that this area was deeply familiar with Buddhism in the past, and
that butsudan (Buddhist altars) naturally became actively produced here.

It was not until the Edo period
(1603-1867) that they were lacquered and made as massive as they are today. In
the late Edo period, a master craftsman named Kisaku Inaba established the
status of butsudan as a craft.

The tradition is still carried on today in
Iiyama City, which is one of the leading production centers of butsudan
(Buddhist altars) in Japan, with approximately 150 craftspeople.

Source: Iiyama city

Manufacturing Process

Kiji is the process of making the
framework, the base of each butsudan. The basic materials used for the base of
the frame are mainly Japanese cypress, Japanese cedar, and Japanese laurels.

The process involves carefully assessing
the base material and making the male and female molds uneven so that they can
be assembled. During this wooden foundation procedure, the wood is made so that
it can be easily assembled and disassembled so that it can be easily repainted
after years of use.

2. Palace (kuden)

The palace is the main part that comes in
the middle of the Buddhist altar. Various kinds of craftsmanship are applied to
it according to the skill of the craftsman. The larger the altar, the more
detailed the workmanship, and most large altars have double palaces. The
technique that can be said to be characteristic of Iiyama butsudan palaces is
hijiki-kumimono (braided elbow wood). By removing the elbow wood, it can easily
be disassembled and reproduced.

3. Carving

Carvings are made on the yumi nageshi, a
distinctive feature of Iiyama butsudan, and other parts of the altar. Using a
chisel, flowers, birds, and animals are carefully engraved.

4. Painting

Lacquer coating and surface polishing are
done in three steps: under-coating, middle-coating, and roiro-urushi coating.
Iiyama butsudan (Buddhist altars) are made by repeating this process of
lacquering and polishing in several stages to produce a shiny, dignified
appearance.

5. Metal fittings

Metal fittings are made from copper and
brass plates. One of the most distinctive processes is the use of ume (plum)
vinegar. By using ume vinegar, metal fittings can be made more durable.

6. Gofun mori makie

Next is the depiction of glittering maki-e,
which is also a characteristic of Iiyama butsudan. Maki-e is used to depict
peacocks, peonies, phoenixes, etc. The pigment used in maki-e is called
“gofun-mori maki-e. The pigment used in maki-e is called gofun, which is
made from shells. The surface of the painting is raised by the use of gofun,
which gives the painting a three-dimensional effect. After the gofun is
applied, gold powder is applied on top to finish the painting.

7. Haku-oshi (foil stamping)

Hakuoshi is an important process to
maintain the beauty of the altar forever. The gold leaf is gently placed on the
lacquer before it dries and gently wiped with cotton.

8. Assembly

Assembly is the final stage in the work
process. Therefore, in parallel with the assembly process, the wood is
inspected to ensure that there are no deviations in the wood and that the paint
is safe to use. Also, when assembling metal fittings, we pay attention to
details such as using the same type of copper or brass for the fittings to
prevent rust.