Craft · No. 179
No. 179仏壇･仏具
Kawanabe Butsudan
川辺仏壇
kawanabe butsudan · 鹿児島県
Kawanabe Butsudan are ornate Buddhist altars crafted in the Kawanabe district of Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Renowned for their lavish gold-leaf decoration, lacquerwork, and refined woodworking, they represent one of Japan's finest altar-making traditions.
- Origin
- 鹿児島県
- Category
- 仏壇･仏具
- Materials
- Wood · Lacquer · Gold
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
The origins of Kawanabe Butsudan are traced to the Edo period, when the devout Buddhist culture of the Satsuma domain fostered a thriving altar-making…
No. IIMaterials
No. IIITechniques
The production of Kawanabe Butsudan is divided among several specialist craftspeople: woodworkers (kidoshi) shape the altar's structure from timber; l…
No. IVClimate
The warm, humid climate of southern Kagoshima provides favorable moisture conditions for lacquer (urushi) curing and hardening — a critical factor in…
