A Butsudan [仏壇] is literally a "Buddhist altar," a sanctuary commonly found in temples and homes in Japan. It usually contains a series of subsidiary religious accessories called butsugu, such as candlesticks, incense burners, bells, and platforms to place offerings like fruit, tea, or rice.
Some Buddhist sects place ihai memorial tablets, ashes of the deceased for deceased relatives in or near the butsudan. The defined space that the butsudan occupies is referred to as the Butsuma.
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The butsudan arrangement
A butsudan is a set platform, often ornate or simply a wooden cabinet sometimes created with doors that attach and protect a religious icon or Gohonzon, usually a statue or painting of a buddha or a bodhisattva, or a calligraphic mandala scroll.
If there are used doors, the sanctuary consecrates the icon of Gohonzon during the religious observances and closes after use. In the event that there is no door, a piece of brocade or white cloth is sometimes placed to render its sacred space.
Meaning of Butsudan in Japanese Culture
Traditional Japanese beliefs associate this shrine with a house of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, and the deceased relatives enshrined within it. In some Buddhist sects, when this shrine is replaced or repaired by the family, a restoration ceremony follows.
The shrine is commonly seen as an essential part of the life of a traditional Japanese family as it is the center of spiritual faith within the family, especially in dealing with the death of family or reflecting on the lives of ancestors.
This is more frequent in many rural areas, where it is common for most households to own a butsudan, in contrast to urban and suburban areas, where the ownership rate is less frequent.
This is really unique to Japan. No other Buddhist countries participate in this practice (except for some Mongols). Because there are so many temples in other Asian countries, people don't need to make altars in their homes. Shinto also has a similar shrine called Kamidana. This shrine is often a hanging miniature of a Shinto shrine.
Where to buy a Butsudan?
Unfortunately for those who live abroad, they have to resort to the internet to buy a butsudan altar. To end the article I will leave a list of related products on the Ebay website for you to take a little look at:
