It is believed that the production of Buddhist implements in Kyoto began around the 8th century, during the time of Saichō and Kūkai, who characterized Heian Buddhism.
In the early 11th century, a Buddhist sculptor established a "Buddhist workshop" in Shichijo and gathered craftsmen to make Buddhist implements, which can be considered the beginning of the history of Buddhist implements in earnest.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. For wooden Buddhist implements (excluding carved wooden Buddhist statues), the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (1) Woodworking involves "shaping" or "form making," processing, and then "temporary assembly" or "assembly." In this case, the processing shall consist of all of "corner chamfering," "finish planing with a hand plane," and "concealing the cut edges," or by "openwork carving," "basic carving," "relief carving," or "applied carving."
  (2) The painting shall be done by hand using refined lacquer.
  (3) Decoration (excluding transoms, writing desks and writing boxes) shall be done by applying gold leaf.
  (4) When decorating the transom, the writing desk, or the writing box, the decoration shall be done by maki-e, gold leaf application, or coloring.

   

  2. In the case of wooden Buddhist statues, the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (1) The original drawings shall be made according to the "ritual rules" and "wood splitting methods".
  (2) The sculpture of the Buddha statue shall be made in one of the following ways:
  (i) In the case of a piece made using the joined-wood technique, the rough cutting and joining of wood is performed using the "wood joining method," followed by "rough carving," "small shaping," and "body hollowing," and then "finishing."
  (b) In the case of a single-block carving, the rough cut of the wood is subjected to "rough carving" and "small-scale carving," followed by "finishing."
  (3) The carvings on the pedestal and halo shall be of the form of "ground carving," "relief carving," "openwork carving," or "applied carving."
  (4) Painting (except in cases where sandalwood, kaya, or camphor wood is used for the base material) shall be done by hand-painting with refined lacquer.

   

  3. In the case of metal Buddhist altar fittings, one of the following shall apply:
  (1) In the case of castings, the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (i) The mold must be a sand mold.
  (b) For the casting sand in contact with the molten metal, use "paper clay" or "true clay".
  (h) The molding of the casting mold shall be done by "turning mold" or "filling mold" (including "wax casting").
  (ii) By firing or drying the mold (including "surface firing").
  (h) The surface of the casting shall be colored by the "boiling method" or the "burning method," or by using lacquer or iron oxide, or by applying gold leaf, or by polishing or plating.
  (2) The hammering process shall be carried out using the following techniques or methods:
  (i) The shaping process involves taking a single piece of gold from the base metal, "stretching" it using a drawing hammer, and then "rough hammering" it using a rough hammer.
  (b) The finishing process involves leveling the surface using a leveling hammer and a mallet to remove any distortions, followed by polishing with a whetstone. In this case, the edges should be smoothed using a file and scraper.
  The hammered surface shall be colored using lacquer.
  (3) In the case of sheet metal work, the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (i) The shaping shall be done by a combination of at least three of the following: bending, engraving, cutting, embossing, and openwork.
  (b) The surface of the sheet metal shall be colored by the "boiling method" or "burning method," or by using lacquer or iron oxide, or by applying gold leaf, or by polishing or plating.

   

  4. In the case of Buddhist painting scrolls, the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (1) The main papermaking process involves drawing an underpainting on silk using ink, and then painting with ink, pigments, gold paint, or kirigane.
  (2) This paper shall be "backed with a skin lining".
  (3) The outer border, middle border, and wind strips shall be made of gold brocade or satin, and backed with Japanese paper.
  (4) The backed main paper, the overall border and the middle border shall be "assembled", "attached", and "inner backed", after which the "overall backing" and "temporary backing" shall be performed.

   

  raw materials

  1. For wooden Buddhist altar fittings (excluding carved wooden Buddhist altars), the following raw materials shall be used.
  (1) The wood used shall be pine, cypress, cedar, or zelkova, or timber of equivalent quality.
  (2) The metal fittings shall be made of copper, a copper alloy, or a metal of equivalent material.
  (3) The lacquer used must be natural lacquer.

   

  2. For wooden Buddhist statues, the following raw materials shall be used.
  (1) The logs shall be pine, cypress, kaya, sandalwood, or timber of equivalent quality.
  (2) The lacquer used shall be natural lacquer.

   

  3. For metal Buddhist altar fittings, the following raw materials shall be used.
  (1) The material used for the casting shall be a copper alloy.
  (2) The material for hammered metal and sheet metal shall be copper or a copper alloy.
  (3) The lacquer used as a coloring agent shall be natural lacquer.

   

  4. Buddhist painting scroll
  (1) The fabric shall be made of silk.
  (2) The paper shall be handmade Japanese paper.

• Work scene

  Work scene

  The production process for KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements) involves a highly specialized division of labor, with over 40 different trades. The finished product is the culmination of the skills of craftsmen specializing in each department. KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements) Buddhist altar fittings are the result of the advanced techniques of 95 (as of April 1, 2001) traditional craftspeople and other specialist artisans.

  Process 1: Wood preparation process

  We create the shapes using carefully selected wood. Depending on the purpose of each Buddhist implement, we use cypress, cedar, pine, maple, katsura, or mulberry, and create them in the shapes prescribed by each Buddhist sect.

  

  Step 2: Wood carving process

  After selecting a design, the artist hand-carves it into wood such as cypress or pine using chisels and knives. Following the style of the main temple, the crucial task is to express vitality and dynamism within the limited space of the altar (shumidan). It requires honing the skills to create sculptures that bring peace of mind to those who view them.

  

  Step 3: Buddha statue carving process

  There are two main techniques for carving Buddhist statues: ichiboku-zukuri (single-block carving) and yosegi-zukuri (joined-block carving). Materials used include cypress, pine, birch, and sandalwood. Ichiboku-zukuri is a technique that creates the entire body of a Buddhist statue from a single piece of wood and is suitable for carving wooden statues or small statues made from sandalwood. Yosegi-zukuri is suitable for creating large Buddhist statues and is a highly rational technique perfected by the great Buddhist sculptor Jocho of the Fujiwara period. It has many advantages, such as requiring each part of the statue to be prepared from separate materials and then joined together, and preventing the statue from cracking by hollowing out the inside.

  

  Process 4: Lacquer coating process

  After preparing the base of the shaped wooden piece, it is hand-painted with refined natural lacquer. Starting with preparing the wood, kokuso (a type of wood filler) is applied to important areas, cloth or Japanese paper is attached, and a base coat of rust is applied multiple times, then it is polished with a whetstone to finish the base. Then, high-quality natural lacquer is filtered through filter paper, and the undercoat and intermediate coats are applied. After drying, the surface is polished with ink to smooth it, and then the topcoat is applied.

  

  Process 5: Wax color process

  The surface of the lacquered piece is sanded and polished to create a glossy finish. This involves applying a black lacquer and further polishing to produce a smooth, rich, jet-black luster. This process requires charcoal sanding, body rubbing, rubbed lacquer, and horn powder polishing. Charcoal sanding, using Suruga charcoal or black charcoal, involves polishing to a smooth and precise finish, and is a crucial step that affects the final result. After body rubbing, the rubbed lacquer and polishing are repeated three times. In particular, the third rubbed lacquer should be applied thinly and allowed to dry completely before polishing to deepen the luster even further.

  

  Step 6: Makie (lacquerware) process

  Makie is a technique where patterns are drawn with lacquer, and then gold powder, silver powder, or shell powder is sprinkled on top, followed by further detailing or polishing. There are various techniques for makie, including keshi-ko makie (flattened powder makie), migi-ko makie (polished powder makie), and togi-ko makie (polished powder makie). Keshi-ko makie, which uses fine gold powder, is a simple process of sprinkling and drying, and uses a relatively small amount of powder. Togi-ko makie, which uses coarse gold powder, requires coating the sprinkled powder with lacquer and then polishing it with charcoal, using more than 100 times the amount of gold powder, and taking tens of times longer in terms of both the process and the time. Many other processes are also involved, making the expressive possibilities of Kyoto makie virtually limitless.

  

  Process 7: Coloring process

  Gold powder, pigments, and paints are used to color the gold leaf, or directly onto the base layer. There are three types of coloring: vibrant colors achieved by layering paints multiple times, wood-grain coloring that brings out the natural texture of the wood with light paints, and foil coloring that uses light colors to paint over the gold leaf. Mineral pigments and watercolors are fixed to the sculpture or other surface with animal glue. The mixing of the pigments is also an important element, and it is often the case that the work is made in Kyoto.

  

  Process 8: Pure gold foil stamping process

  On items that have been coated with lacquer, pure gold leaf is applied using lacquer as an adhesive, or gold powder is applied on top. Using traditional tools, gold leaf application lacquer is applied to the area where the gold leaf will be applied, and the entire surface is wiped evenly with cotton. The type of lacquer, the degree of wiping, and the amount of lacquer left are determined by sensing the drying state of the base lacquer, as well as the temperature and humidity of the day. The subtle viscosity of the lacquer is everything when it comes to gold leaf application, and it is finished with a rich, heavy shine with a subdued luster unique to Kyoto, known as "omooshi" (heavy pressing).

  

  Process 9: Decorative Metal Fittings Process

  After hand-engraving copper or other metals, decorative metal fittings are created by finishing and applying pure gold plating. There are three main techniques for creating decorative metal fittings: "flat metal fittings" (hair engraving), where patterns are incised into copper plates; "openwork carving," where openwork patterns are cut out; and "ground carving," which creates a three-dimensional, thin-relief finish. Refined sensibilities and delicate skills are required, and care is taken to ensure that the decorative metal fittings harmonize with the main body of the object.

  

  Process 10: Metal process

   

  

  Once each stage of production is complete, the materials are gathered in one place and assembled together to create a complete KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements).

  

   

• Close-up

  Close-up

  Traditional Craftsmanship for the Future: KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements)

  KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements) are highly regarded as works of art. Their majestic beauty is the culmination of the skills of specialized craftsmen, each responsible for a detailed process. From craftsmen who have undergone rigorous training to young people aspiring to become the next generation, the tradition of KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements) is being faithfully passed down.

   

  A diverse division of labor system for producing high-quality Buddhist altar fittings

  Kyoto boasts over 100 head temples of various Buddhist sects, more than 3,000 temples, and numerous national treasures and cultural properties. Approximately 80% of the nation's Buddhist implements are produced here, and their delicate and magnificent craftsmanship is highly regarded as art both domestically and internationally. This high quality is underpinned by a diverse division of labor system. Each subdivided process is handled by a specialist craftsman, ensuring that every single part is infused with the serious skill of a master craftsman.

  

  The aura of a true craftsman emanates from him.

  Reliable jobs in Kyoto

  Mitsuaki Sudo, who runs a Buddhist statue carving workshop in Yamashina, Kyoto, proudly states, "You can really feel at ease when it comes to work done in Kyoto." "Even when we make Buddhist statues in our workshop, we have specialized craftsmen apply lacquer and gold leaf, but we can entrust the work to them with complete confidence." Furthermore, you can also feel at ease when it comes to having Buddhist altars and religious items repaired in Kyoto. "For example, if there is damage to a Buddhist statue made of camphor wood, they will repair it by adding more camphor wood." The goal is always to restore it to its original form. That is the style of repair by Kyoto craftsmen.

  

  Apprentices eager to learn their master's techniques up close.

  The spirit of KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements) craftsmen

  The reason he puts so much care and effort into his work is, above all, to make his clients happy. Mr. Sudo says, "Buddhas are sacred objects, so everyone is truly delighted when they receive one. I feel that I must do a solid job so as not to disappoint them." What Mr. Sudo keeps in mind is "to do things the traditional way properly." Even when creating Buddhist statues, he doesn't get carried away by trends. He must thoroughly study excellent works from the past using books and illustrations. It is a profound job. For that reason, he hopes that people who are looking to buy Buddhist altars and religious items will "not look at the superficial work." "We do our work so that people will think, 'This is truly Kyoto.'" "People say that Kyoto Buddhist altars and religious items are expensive, but if you take a good look at the quality of the work, I think you will find it to be quite reasonable. If you have a budget, just tell us, and we will do our best within that budget. That's Kyoto."

  Sons following in their father's footsteps

  By the way, at the workshop, three male apprentices, including his two sons, and four female apprentices live and train there. Mr. Sudo's eldest son, who has been training for four years, says, "I've been watching my dad since I was little, so I naturally came to think that this is the job I'm going to do." Now, his sons are aiming to become skilled craftsmen like their father. "Anyway, I think we have to catch up to our father."

  

  I will one day become a full-fledged artist... I continue to carve with unwavering dedication.

  "Right now, all we can do is cherish each and every job."

  After graduating from high school, one person who studied Buddhist altar and ritual object craftsmanship at the Kyoto Traditional Crafts College and then became an apprentice said, "I didn't want to leave what I learned at school unfinished, so I chose the path of apprenticeship. Right now, my training has just begun, and I'm doing my best just to complete the tasks I'm given, but I want to keep working hard." "I have no idea when I'll be able to become a full-fledged craftsman. I'm just going to focus on doing each job carefully." His master, Mr. Sudo, said, "After 10 years, he's only just learned the basics. It will take even longer to become a full-fledged craftsman." The path to becoming a craftsman is indeed long. Mr. Sudo said he was severely scolded for simply buying a fishing rod during his apprenticeship. "The lesson was that if you have that kind of money and time, you should use it to study for the job."

  

  The large hand of a master craftsman (right) speaks of years of experience.

  Work that brings joy, work without deception.

  While things aren't as strict now, Mr. Sudo's apprentices still lead busy lives, working during the day and creating their own works at night. They strive to grasp the feeling of creating "Buddha statues that feel right to the eye and touch." When asked about the mindset he expects from his apprentices, Mr. Sudo replied, "To do work that will please the client, and to do honest work." By honest work, he means to properly maintain traditional methods, and to preserve methods that allow for repairs after a few years.

  

  The Buddha statue was restored by adding pieces of wood (the white parts).

  Kyoto's traditions are being preserved and nurtured.

  These young people are still feeling their way as they begin their journey to becoming craftsmen. There is a vast amount of knowledge they must acquire, but their determination to continue carving, believing that "if you do each job properly, the rest will surely follow," is truly refreshing. They will undoubtedly protect, nurture, and further advance the tradition of KYO Butsudan (Household Buddhist Altars) and KYO Butsugu (Buddhist Implements). Their masters watch over them with strict yet warm eyes.

  Craftsman Profile

  ​Koshō Sudo

  "The feel in your hand is important," says Mr. Sudo.

  Born in 1945 (Showa 20).
  He studied under sculptor Shinkan Nishikido, Buddhist sculptor Sadayoshi Sagawa, and Buddhist statue lacquerer Kenkichi Ogawa, and became independent at the age of 29. He is a certified traditional craftsman.

  

  Anecdotes