In-house Buddhism

Anyone fortunate enough to have participated in a homestay in Japan may well have seen a miniature Buddhist temple in one of the rooms of the house. This ornate cabinet is known as a butsudan, and is much more than a decorative article. Japanese have butsudan in their homes to honour members of their family who have passed away. Icons to represent the departed family members are placed either side of the Buddha image. Theseicons are known as ihai.

The surviving members of the family will pray in front of the butsudan twice daily; once in the morning to ensure goodfortune for the coming day, and once in the evening to give thanks that no catastrophe befell the family during daylight hours. Therefore the butsudan fulfills two roles: as a focus for ancestor worship, and as a medium for daily prayer.

　

The butsudan is a particularly Japanese phenomenon. The reasons why are unclear, but it is believed that as Buddhism spread across the Asian continent towards Japan, worship remained contained in the temple. When Buddhism eventually made the short hop over the Japan Sea, the mountainous nature of Japan's topography made access to isolated temples difficult, so the Japanese began a custom of having a Buddhist temple in the house, or zaikebukkyo inJapanese.

The symbolism within the butsudan is strong. The butsudan is closed during the night, and the outside of the cabinet is traditionally fashioned from plain black or dark brown wood. In stark contrast, the interior is colourful and striking, illustrating the difference between the kingdom of the gods and this mortal realm. The upper half of the butsudan symbolises heaven. The pedestal upon which the Buddha sits is, for some, a metaphor for a holy mountain one must ascend to attain paradise.

Fukushima Prefecture, and Aizu Wakamatsu City in particular, is richly blessed with folkcrafts, and butsudan manufacture is no exception. The Onoya Butsudan outlet can be found in the city centre, and its peaceful facade belies a successful business responsible for 5% of Japan's butsudan sales, and 20% of the nation's ihai retail. As with many other companies, the collapse of the bubble economy damaged sales, especially as prices can reach the hundred million yen mark. Fortunately (or was it divine intervention? ), the slump coincided with the increased popularity of religious corporations, whose members are required to possess their own butsudan.

The size and style of butsudan depends largely on one's geographical location. City dwellers whose space is at a premium tend to opt for a more compact model. Those hailing from rural localities sometimes devote an entire room to the butsudan. Japanese families living along the Japan Sea coastline have indulged in kinbutsudan, or golden butsudan for several generations. To the trained eye, these differences in style are as distinctive as regional dialects.