Carving the Divine: preserving a Japanese 🇯🇵 traditional art

[BIJ Event] Monday November 5th 12pm JST~ | 1pm AEST
8pm PST | 11pm EDT | 4am BST | 5am CET | 8:30am IST

Carving the Divine: preserving a Japanese 🇯🇵 traditional art

Have you heard of Butsuzō? Direct translation 'Japanese Buddhist statues', but it encompasses much more. Yujiro Seki discusses his 10yr documentary: Carving the Divine - Buddhist Sculptors of Japan.

Needless to say, Japan has had a long historical relationship with Buddhism. Buddhism first arrived in the 6th century and since then has principally co-existed in harmony alongside Japan’s original religion, Shintoism. From this combination emerged variations and interpretations of Buddhism that differ from other parts of the world.

In this unique environment, the Japanese developed an artistically profound Buddhist statuary culture and to this day you can see its legacy throughout the country.

Yujiro's documentary, Carving the Divine — Buddhist Sculptors of Japan, explores a group of artisans, busshi, practitioners of a 1,400-year-old lineage of Buddhist wood carving at the heart of Japanese Mahayana Buddhism. The busshi create breathtaking Japanese Buddhist statues, butsuzo.

At first, the styles of Japanese Buddhist sculptures closely resembled those of contemporary China and Korea, and the primary material used was bronze. But around the 11th century, due to Japan’s diplomatic break from China and the prominence of a legendary Busshi named Jocho, among other factors, Japanese Busshi began producing their own style, called Wayo, utilizing wood.

The great Buddha and Kongōrikishi of Todaiji Temple, the 1,001 statues of Kannon bodhisattvas at Sanjūsangen-dō, and the massive 11-Headed Kannon at Hasedera (featured in Carving the Divine) are all the work of busshi.

Beyond mere crafts, the sculptures created by busshi have a deep spiritual connection to the collective Japanese psyche. The movie explores the art and discipline of busshi but ultimately attempts to reveal the meaning of Butsuzo for the people of Japan and beyond.

Join us to explore more about this mysterious Japanese Buddhist art, Butsuzō today.

Yujiro's goal is to show this profound, spiritual 1400-year-old Japanese Buddhist sculptural tradition to the people of the world in many languages. He wants to bring this art to the people of the world! PLEASE SUPPORT 'CARVING THE DIVINE' TODAY 👉https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine

We hope to see you this Monday & any Monday lunchtime JST, for more casual discussions about Japan & Business/Work subjects, interesting speakers & panel guests.

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WHAT: Carving the Divine: preserving a Japanese 🇯🇵 traditional art
WHEN: Monday, December 5th 12pm to 1:30pm~ JST
TAP IN to CH: https://www.clubhouse.com/event/xnWd2QRM
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Have you heard of Butsuzō? Direct translation 'Japanese Buddhist statues', but it encompasses much more. Yujiro Seki discusses his 10yr documentary: Carving the Divine - Buddhist Sculptors of Japan.

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