Kanazawa Buddhist Altars

Kanazawa Butsudan are gilded Buddhist altars developed in Kanazawa, the castle town that flourished under the Kaga domain's million-koku wealth, and were designated a national Traditional Craft in 1976. Their development traces back to 1471, when the priest Rennyo spread Jodo Shinshu Buddhism throughout the Hokuriku region, leading to the construction of meeting halls and temples in communities across the area and a corresponding rise in demand for altars. During the era of the Kaga domain's third lord, Maeda Toshitsune, master craftsmen were invited from Kyoto and Edo to work in dedicated workshops, laying the technical foundation for this art form. Kanazawa Butsudan are made through a complete division of labor among seven specialist craftsmen — woodworkers, shrine-structure carvers, lacquerers, maki-e gold-lacquer artists, wood carvers, gold-leaf appliers, and metal-fitting makers — each perfecting a distinct craft, which is a defining characteristic of the tradition. A particularly distinctive feature, rarely seen in altars from other regions, is the application of polished and raised maki-e across a wide area including the front pillars, tiered edges, central pillars, doors, and drawers. Combined with a sturdy structure using durable Aomori hiba wood joined with mortise-and-tenon joints, this results in altars that are both lavishly ornate and built to last, a tradition carried on to this day.