INOUE BUTSUDAN TEN

(Inoue Buddhist altar company)

Company Profile

Inoue Butsudan Ten
(Inoue Buddhist altar company)
50, Serinaka-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0031, JAPAN
Phone: +81-749-22-1587 Fax: +81-749-22-1333
Web site http://www.inouebutudan.com/english/
E-mail japan@inouebutudan.com

Business summary

Inoue Butsudan Ten (Inoue Buddhist altar company) provides Japanese traditional craft goods made by well-skilled artisans in Hikone.

1901 Hisajiro Inoue started business of the decorative metal fittings artisan (Kazari kanagu shi). About the middle of Taisho Period, he started manufacturing of Buddhist altar.
1927 Tomizo Inoue took over the family business.
1952 Motonobu Inoue took over the business as the third.
1991 Shoichi Inoue took over the business as the fourth.
2001 Inoue Butsudan Company celebrated its 100th anniversary from the establish-ment.

Prizes won

1978 Tomizo Inoue won the prize of the traditional craft goods industrial engineer.
1979 Tomizo Inoue won the prize of the head of Osaka Regional Bureaus of International Trade and Industry.
1981 Tomizo Inoue won the prize of the mayor of Hikone city.
1982 Tomizo Inoue won the prize of the mayor of Hikone city.
1983 Tomizo Inoue won the prize of the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Company)
1984 Tomizo Inoue won the prize of Shiga excellent engineer and the prize of the Mayor of Hikone city.
1995 Motonobu Inoue won the prize of the traditional craft goods industrial engineer.
1997 Motonobu Inoue won the prize of the head of Kinki Regional Bureaus of International Trade and Industry.
2000 Kazuko Inoue won the prize of the traditional craft goods industrial engineer.
2003 Shoichi Inoue won the prize of the mayor of Hikone city.
2007 Shoichi Inoue won the prize of the mayor of Hikone city.

Inoue Butsudan Ten's motto:

We offer high quality handicraft goods manufactured by well-skilled artisans in Hikone.
We pursue consumer satisfaction to offer goods and services corresponding to customer's request.
We offer real traditional handicrafts at reasonable prices directly from manufactures, not through whole sellers.

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Artisans who support our company

The palace maker (kuudenshi)

This artisan gives shape to the butsudan's internal form, gluing together the small bits of wood that make up the inner altar, from its round columns to he separate tiles of its roof. This finely detailed task involves the making of up to several thousand separate wooden parts, and assembling them in the same manner used in the construction of full-scale Buddhist temples.

Mr.Kazuo Tanaka & Mr.Masashi Tanaka
(Company name: Tsubo-chu)

The traditional craft artisans recognized by The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Mr.Tanaka says that the palace maker (kuudenshi) is required elaborate techniques that stick to a difference of millimeter. Our motto is to make the palace (kuuden) by use of our experience and the techniques having being succeeded to, so that other artisans would work at the following process.

Mr.Inoue says that they have made palaces (kuuden) for our company more than 50years and are the best palace maker in Hikone, Shiga.

The lacquer (nurishi)

Lacquering (nuri) is the 4th stage in butsudan production. After all the woodwork is finished, the pieces are sent to the lacquering artisan (nurishi) who coats them with lacquer (urushi) using various techniques depending on the taste. All visible surfaces will be covered. Urushi is applied so thinly that 100 layers would be about 3mm thick. In general, the butsudan nurishi applies two to five layers. It will then either be left as such or will form the foundation for gold leaf (kinpaku) or gold powder (kinpun).

Mr.Hiroshi Yoshida
(Company name: Nushizen)

The traditional craft artisan recognized by The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Mr.Inoue says that he has lacquered our goods more than 50years and is the best palace maker in Hikone, Shiga.

The gilder (kinpakuoshi shi)

The interiors of Hikone butsudan are glided with thin gold leaf. Standard sized leaves (10.9x12.7centimeters,or about 4x5inches)are placed by the gilder, one by one, onto a coat of lacquer to form a single gilded surface. A thousand leaves or more may be used to complete a Hikone butsudan.

Mr.Yoshihiro Miyamoto
(Company name: Miyamoto hakuoshi ten)

The traditional craft artisan recognized by The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Mr.Miyamoto says that I put gold leaf (kinpaku), one by one, on the lacquered goods by use of a pair of bamboo forceps. My motto is to offer the real brightness of gold leaf (kinpaku) by hand-work putting with natural lacquer.

Mr.Inoue says that our company has been dealing with The Miyamoto's for more than 50 years.

The decorative metal fittings artisan (kazarikanagu shi)

This artisan uses materials of gold, silver and copper for making the decorative metal fittings of butsudan with openwork carving or chased designs. As many as 300 or more metal fittings are used in a typical butsudan; as among the wood-carvers in Hikone, the skills for this task have been handed down from father to son for generation after generation.

Mr.Masaaki Sawatari
(Company name: Sawatari kazari kanagushi)

The traditional craft artisan recognized by The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Mr.Sawatari says that my motto is to do the best for the day's work. I like this phrase" One life, one work". I always devote myself to my work so as to produce splendid works and be evaluated as wonderful Sawatari's works, even in 100 years.

Mr.Inoue says that Mr.Sawatari has a challenging mind of producing new designs. He is one of the best decorative metal fittings artisans in Hikone.

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