A ceramic board replica of the Jizo Mandala, a Buddhist painting owned by Chojyuji Temple (Konan City, Shiga Prefecture) being produced by our company, was unveiled at a Buddhist memorial service held on October 15.
 
The "Jizo Mandala" is a rare Buddhist painting from the Muromachi period (1392-1573), featuring a six-armed Jizo surrounded by approximately 11,900 Jizo statues, each with a different expression. In order to realize the temple's wish that many people, including the visually impaired who visit the temple to pray, would be able to know about this Buddhist painting, the temple received crowdfunding donations to produce a reproduction.
It was an unprecedented attempt for our company to create a three-dimensional reproduction of a two-dimensional work with the aim of enabling visitors to feel the Buddhist painting by touching it, not just seeing it. We completed the facsimile after several prototypes with the input of visually impaired people.
 
At the Buddhist memorial service on March 15, crowdfunding donors and the technicians who restored the Buddhist painting gathered, and Mr. Fujishi, chief abbot of Chojyuji Temple, spoke, “I hope that by touching this ceramic board, both sighted and blind people will feel closer to the Buddha and feel kindness toward him”. We hope that as many people as possible will have the opportunity to come into contact with this reproduction of the ceramic board and learn about the history and teachings of Buddhist painting.
The ceramic board are on display in the main hall of Chojyuji Temple, a national treasure. Please visit there when you are in the neighborhood.

• The memorial service 
• The completed replica of the ceramic board was placed in front of the Buddhist painting. 
• Worshippers enjoying touching the ceramic board. 
• Jizo form engraved on a ceramic plate. 

＊All photos were taken with permission.