September 2024

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[Karesansui]

"Karesansui" is one of the forms of Japanese garden in which the landscape is expressed with stones and sand without using water. The only temple that stuck in my mind during a school excursion to Kyoto in high school was Ryoanji Temple, which has a karesansui garden.

Japanese gardens are classified into three major categories: Chisen-teien, which has a stream, pond, or other water feature; karesansui, which does not use any water; and roji, which is associated with a tea ceremony room, and karesansui is the oldest garden form among them. According to the Sakuteiki, a medieval text on garden design, it is said that since it was impossible to move huge stones such as those in stone chambers of ancient tombs, they were used to the contrary in creating gardens. The combination of several natural stones is called "ishigumi" (stone arrangement), and it is a factor that greatly influences the landscape of a garden. This suggests that karesansui is closely related to the afterlife.

Until the Heian period (794-1185), only a small number of karesansui were created in the gardens of aristocratic families, but when Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the Kamakura period (1192-1333), full-scale karesansui were created in the gardens of Zen temples, mainly in Kyoto. Today, karesansui gardens are widely used not only in Zen temples but also in shrines and private homes. In contrast to large pond gardens, which require a relatively large site, karesansui can be created in any area and can be placed indoors or on rooftops without the use of water, so it has become a common sight in modern architecture.

Karesansui gardens may look simple at first glance, but they have a unique atmosphere and mysterious power to calm the mind as one sits on the veranda and gazes out at them. Whenever my friends come to Kyoto, I always want to include a karesansui garden in the course at least once, and I would like to recommend three temples in particular.

First is the World Heritage-listed Zen temple Ryoanji, which became world-famous as a "rock garden" after Queen Elizabeth II praised its stone garden during an official visit to Ryoanji Temple in 1975. It is said that only 14 stones can be seen from every angle of the stone garden, composed of white sand and 15 stones, and I remember how we all compared them from different angles during school excursions. The creator and the intent of the garden's creation are both a mystery. For me, the first dry landscape garden I visited was Ryoanji Temple. The beauty, tranquility, and serenity of Ryoanji Temple, including the stone garden where you cannot move from the edge once you sit down, the large site full of greenery leading to the stone garden, and the Kyoyouchi Pond where water lilies bloom, are all at the origin and the top of my current list.

The second is the Daitokuji Zuihoin Temple, built in 1535 by Sorin Otomo, a well-known Christian feudal lord, as a family temple of the Otomo family. Both the "Dokuza-tei" and "Kanmin-tei" gardens located around the jōgen were created by Mirei Shigemori in 1961 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founder's death. The "Kanmin-tei" is also called the "Garden of the Cross" because of its four vertical and three horizontal stones arranged in a crisscross pattern. The white sand, reminiscent of rough seas, is unique and hard to find elsewhere. Although compact, this temple achieves a harmony between Christianity and Buddhism.

The last temple is Kenninji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. Eisai, who studied Zen in the Song dynasty (960-1279), built the temple in 1202, modeling it after the Chinese temple Hyakujozan. The garden in front of the hojo (the building where priests and monks live) is a large garden of white sand and 15 stones, with the Imperial Gate and Dharma Hall in the background. I had never been to Kenninji Temple because it is located in the Gion district and I thought I could go there anytime I wanted, but when I visited there for the first time just the other day, I found that the site was much larger than I had imagined, the stone garden was magnificent, and the veranda was relaxing. In addition to the stone garden, the "Sour Dragon" painted on the ceiling of the Dharma Hall and the "○△□ Garden" expressing the four major philosophies of Zen Buddhism (pond, water, fire, and wind) are also worth seeing.

The best season for viewing the stone garden is when there are no cherry blossoms or autumn leaves. In today's information-rich society, there is something that can only be satisfied in a karesansui. Ryoanji Temple and Zuibuin Temple are located in the upper part of Kyoto City, so please visit them together with our Imadegawa showroom, Kenninji Temple is located in Gion, which is more easily accessible, so please visit them together with our Sanjo showroom when you come to Kyoto.

Sanjo Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
Imadegawa Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/imadegawa.html
Ryoanji Temple
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GLV4tMys1ur7LfbP7
Daitokuji, Zuihoin Temple
https://maps.app.goo.gl/a7XqsAhuEB1Qn3PX9
Kenninji Temple
https://maps.app.goo.gl/N2sU2fzeVqt3wque7

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9E%AF%E5%B1%B1%E6%B0%B4
https://souda-kyoto.jp/guide/theme/sekitei/
https://mizu.gr.jp/kikanshi/no51/05.html
https://intojapanwaraku.com/rock/culture-rock/10210/
https://ja.kyoto.travel/glossary/single.php?glossary_id=1172

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[Inami Sculpture and Kumodana]

Kokokashiko's Kumodana, a wood carving in the shape of a cloud, is one of our most popular products and is often asked, “What is this?" The carving is done with a chisel, without using any file, but the surface has the luster of wood as it is, and is very smooth to the touch. Since it is made of camphorwood, just by placing it on the table, it gives off a pleasant aroma.

Clouds have been used in Japanese art since ancient times to represent sacred objects and as auspicious symbols. The shape of the clouds on the cloud shelf reminds me of the lovely figure of Unchu Kuyo Bosatsu at Byodoin Temple, and in fact, the design was inspired by Unchu Kuyo Bosatsu. I will leave the explanation of what this mysterious cloud shelf is used for for a moment, but please bear with me for a moment on the history of the carving technique and the craftsman who created it.

Kumodana is made by several craftsmen involved in Inami sculpture, which has been cultivated in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, since the Edo period. The history of Inami sculpture dates back to the Edo period, but its birth is deeply related to the construction of the Zuisenji Temple in 1390, a much older temple. This temple was built in Iba as a branch temple of the Otani sect of Shinshu Buddhism, but it has been repeatedly burned down and rebuilt due to the “Inami wind,” a south wind that blows in this area. When the main hall was rebuilt in the mid-Edo period, an official sculptor named Sanshiro Maekawa was sent from Kyoto to carve the main hall. Local carpenters also participated in the reconstruction, and they apprenticed themselves to Sanshiro Maekawa and learned the techniques of sculpture, which marked the beginning of Inami sculpture. Since then, the entire area has developed into a town of Inami sculptors, who have carved temples and shrines all over the country. The “Shishi no Kootoshi” carved in 1792 on the Imperial Gate of Zuisenji Temple is regarded as a masterpiece in the history of Japanese sculpture. The “Unsui Ippiki Ryu” (dragon with water in the clouds) on the gate of Zuisenji Temple by Sanshiro Maekawa, the founder of Iba sculpture, is so vivid that legend has it that during a great fire, the dragon broke free and blew water to save the gate from being burned down.

The art of Inami sculpture has been refined by the spirit of prayer to the gods and Buddha. In recent years, the technique has been widely used not only for temples and shrines but also for interior decoration and carving of private houses. The high level of skill and artistry rooted in the local community is recognized throughout Japan, and even today, carvings can be seen everywhere in the Zuisenji temple gate area, and the sound of craftsmen carving wood can be heard echoing through the streets.

Now, this “Kumodana” is for those who would like to enshrine the ofuda received at shrines but find it a bit difficult to put up a kamidana (Shinto altar)... Kumodana is a wall-mounted Shinto altar born from the idea of accommodating such prayers in modern life. It has magnets on the back and can be fixed to the wall with thumbtacks. When enshrining the ofuda, it is said that the gods are pleased if it is placed in a “comfortable place for human beings” that is higher than the eye level of people and has good sunlight and ventilation. The solid shape carved with a chisel and the fragrance of camphorwood make a space look sharp and clean.

Since each piece is made by several craftsmen who have inherited the tradition of Inami carving, each piece has a slightly different expression. We hope you will enjoy the individuality of each cloud.

Kokokashiko's Kumodana
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kokokashiko/

References
https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/stories/story059/
https://www.mizu.gr.jp/kikanshi/no56/05.html

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Once again, the Shin Nihonkai Ferry between Maizuru and Otaru, which I took for the first time in 17 years, gave me a trip that allowed me to experience firsthand the size of Japan.

With no Internet connection for 15 hours and nothing but the vastness of the sea and sky in front of me, I was truly at peace. It is truly a feeling of nothingness. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who has a lot on their plate. It was also nice to be able to buy and drink Sapporo Classic, Hokkaido's limited beer, and Otaru's wine on the ferry.

This Saturday and Sunday, we will be displaying a small amount of the remainder of our recent traveling outlet exhibition. Thanks to the good reception, we would like to sell them in Otaru for a while. Please come and visit us.

Otaru Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/otaru.html