Kongoshinin is a famous temple located on a coastal hill in Miyazu city, which is famous for Amanohashidate.

At the temple they have a standing statue of Nyorai, which is made from one tree. His massive body, his clothing expressed with repeated big and small waves and spiral patterns make the statue look very solid for a statue with a height of about 90 cm. It also looks like his clothing is fluttering in the wind blowing from his front, and we can see the sculptor’s advanced skill of realism.

This statue was made as part of my research in graduate school of advanced skills in the Heian period. The temple was kind enough to allow me to do measurements to make the statue’s 3D data, and the production process was based on that data following the lumbering of a Japanese torreya tree.

During the production process, I stayed in Miyazu city and worked there for one and a half months, visiting the temple every day to pray and to get closer to the original statue. The owner was kind enough to provide me some space for my workshop.

I was affected a lot by the expression skills I learned through the production of the statue, and I feel that they are still alive in my current works.　

The tips of his hands and Rahotsu hair were restored in this statue.