The relationship between stone and human life dates back to the Stone Age. In the late Nara period, a stone culture emerged with the introduction of Buddhism.
With the subsequent development of stone art, valuable cultural stone crafts were created. KYO Ishi Kougeihin (Stone Carving) craft techniques that are not found in other regions, and have been passed down to the present day.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. The stone materials used must be free from "leaf blemishes," "mountain blemishes," "impurities," or "blemishes."

  2. For mold making, use "single-edged," "double-edged," "high-cut," "chisel," and "hammer."

  3. The joints of each part of the lantern and the pagoda shall be made by mortise and tenon joints or dovetail joints, except for the "Oribe type" and the "Sennyu-ji type".

  4. The carving shall be in the form of relief carving, inset carving, openwork carving, line carving, or relief carving using a chisel, spatula, mold maker, single-edged blade, blade sledgehammer, or hammer.

  5. The finishing touches shall be "chisel finish," "shank finish," "hammered finish," "eraser finish," or "strip removal finish."

   

  raw materials

  1. The raw materials shall be Shirakawa stone, Taiko stone, Kitagi stone, Uji stone, Aji stone, Aoki stone, Toshima stone, or Oshima granite.

  2. The logs used for the core of the millstone shall be oak or of equivalent quality.

• Work scene

  Work scene

  A stone lantern is made up of six parts: the finial, the cap, the fire chamber, the middle base, the pillars, and the base. Here, we will mainly introduce the manufacturing process of the cap.

  Step 1: Turning the stone

  This process involves drawing lines with ink on the rough stone (raw material) to indicate the final shape and size.

  

  Step 2: Rough cutting

  First, several arrow holes are dug into the stone, and the arrows placed in the holes are hammered to remove large chunks from the four corners. Then, the corners outside the lines marked with ink using a "haikara" tool are rounded off, and the stone is smoothed by chiseling (shaving) with a "chisel".

  

  Process 3: Shimoba-zukuri

  The bottom surface, or the underside of the cap, is flattened. After carefully observing the twist of the stone, ink is applied, and then the surface is smoothed using tools such as a sledgehammer, a chisel, a sledgehammer, and a sledgehammer. This is an important step in creating a reference surface for standing the sides vertically.

  

  Step 4: Eaves construction

  This is the process of raising the eaves, or sides, vertically from the leveled base.

  

  Step 5: Making the underside of the umbrella cap

  This process involves marking the number of steps on the underside of the hat and the shape of the rounded, pointed end called "warabite," and then chiseling along those lines. Care is taken to ensure that the warabite does not tilt relative to the underside of the hat.

  

  Step 6: Handmade bracken

  While maintaining the balance of the curves, I carefully cut out the strips, taking the utmost care not to chip or break them.

  

  Process 7: Construction of the Uwaba (umbrella base)

  We finish the sloping surface at the top of the cap. The work of chipping away at the stone may look rough at first glance, but there are subtle tricks to the angle of the chisel tip and the amount of force applied when striking with the hammer. The fact that it looks like they are striking without hesitation is proof of their years of experience.

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  Step 8: Creating mortise joints

  We carve holes to fit the tenons of the finial. The tenons serve to connect the cap and the finial when the stone lantern is assembled, by interlocking the interlocking grooves.

  

  Step 9: Reverse large mortar construction

  This is the process of creating a recess on the underside of the lampshade to accommodate the firebox.

  

  工程10： 仕上げ

  Smooth the whole thing down to finish it off.

  Furthermore, the base, fire chamber, middle base, pillars, and finial are each finished and assembled to complete the lantern.

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• Close-up

  Close-up

  Passing on the skills and pride of Kyoto stonemasons to future generations.

  The Shirakawa district of Kyoto. Located at the foot of Mount Hiei, this area once produced high-quality Shirakawa stone and was the hometown of stonemasons who worked in stone carving throughout the village. We spoke with Kinzo Nishimura, one of Japan's leading stonemasons, who revives classical forms using traditional techniques in this very place.

   

  Kyoto craftsmen, honed by discerning eyes.

  Stone carving developed alongside Buddhism during the Heian period, and in the Muromachi period, it became popular among tea masters as garden decorations. In Kyoto, in particular, where many Buddhist temples are located and which is the center of tea ceremony culture, stone carving was refined under the scrutiny of temples and shrines that value tradition and formality, and the discerning tastes of tea masters. Of course, Kyoto still has many connoisseurs, and Kyoto craftsmen say, "We must also hone our own eyes. There is much to learn."

  

  Surrounded by lanterns, "You can forget about time here."

  Learn from classical texts through actual measurements and apply that knowledge.

  The biggest turning point in his career as a craftsman was seeing Korean stone carvings in his twenties. Since then, he has made frequent trips to Korea, which he considers the origin of Japan's stone culture. "I was so impressed by the real thing, and I wanted to see more good things. But just looking wasn't enough." "I had to measure how it was made. Only then did it become my own." He relied on connections to measure and draw up drawings of masterpieces that he was rarely allowed to touch. "When you understand the goodness of the shape and balance in numbers, you can apply that to the next thing." This suggests that skills and sensibilities cannot be acquired by relying solely on intuition.

  

  The bookshelf speaks volumes about his diligent and logical approach to research.

  The soft feel of stone

  I was led to the display area at the back of the shop. In this rustic space carved out of the mountainside, the lanterns that Mr. Nishimura has made and the lanterns he has collected and cherished are lined up together in a magnificent display. Good things harmonize regardless of the era or place in which they were made. "New lanterns lack character. When you leave them here, they rust nicely and develop an indescribable charm." I was allowed to touch Mr. Nishimura's lanterns. Despite being made of stone, they felt soft to the touch, almost as if they were clinging to my palm. "I do it all by hand. If you use a machine to carve them, they become smooth," he told me.

  

  A display area lined with various lanterns

  Something I can take responsibility for even after death. That's why my rivals are my predecessors.

  Stone is a symbol of strength and permanence. However, even with stone as a material, only truly excellent works will be passed down to future generations. "Even if I die, the stone will remain, so I have to create it responsibly. I believe that I must create the best possible things, things that will last, while I am still alive," says Nishimura. This is the resolve of a craftsman who works with stone. He also says, "Compared to the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, the tools and techniques have improved. I can't let myself be outdone by the people of the past." "I have to create something better than what my predecessors made." The rivals of this modern master craftsman are his distant predecessors.

  Preserving and passing on Kyoto's stone craftsmanship

  Mr. Nishimura emphasizes that the transmission of Japanese techniques must not be allowed to die out. Kyoto's stonework has been preserved and nurtured by Kyoto's stone and Kyoto's craftsmen. That's why, even now that stone can no longer be quarried in Shirakawa, he insists on using domestically produced stone and having domestic craftsmen do the work. It is because he has confidence in the skills that have been passed down and cultivated that he is strict with the younger generation, telling them, "Don't cheapen your skills." "No matter how hard the stone is, worthless things will be destroyed. Cheap, mass-produced things don't last. I tell them not to waste their hard-earned skills on things like that." "We have to make things that are worth leaving for future generations." The stonemason's pride is harder than the stone itself, and as long as this pride remains, the skills will surely be passed down to future generations.

  

  The workplace. His sons also showcase their skills.

  Craftsman Profile

  ​Kinzo Nishimura

  The fourth generation owner of "Nishimura Stone Lantern Shop".
  Born in 1938 (Showa 13).
  His representative works include a replica of the Kotoji Lantern in Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa.

  

  Anecdotes

  Tracing the History of Kyoto Stone Craft: Tea Ceremony Culture and Stone Craft

  The term "stonemason" first appears in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). In Kyoto, with the relocation of the capital to Heian-kyo and the construction of the Imperial Palace, stonework flourished. Furthermore, with the rise of Buddhism, stonemasonry techniques developed even further, producing foundation stones for temples and shrines, stone Buddha statues, stone pagodas, and stone lanterns.
  Even after the political center shifted to the Kanto region during the Kamakura period, Kyoto remained the cultural center, and many excellent stone carvings remain there. From the Momoyama period to the early Edo period, castle construction, landscape gardening, and the connection with the tea ceremony culture greatly influenced stone carving. As an expression of the wabi-sabi aesthetic sought by tea masters, replicas of ancient stone lanterns were used as garden decorations, and water basins, pagodas, and other sculptures were frequently brought into gardens. The pursuit of "beauty" in accordance with the spirit of tea led to a remarkable improvement in stone carving techniques. This historical background explains why stone lanterns and other stone carvings are used for garden decoration today.

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    The beauty of stones is indispensable to Japanese gardens.