Taught by a Buddha statue sculptor of "Tomita kougei"Experience carving wooden covers of the stamp book

Contents of Experience

You can experience engraving the cover of the Stamp book, which is a must-have when visiting temples and shrines, with a chisel. By following Mr. Tomita Kougei's gentle, easy-to-follow guidance, you will be able to feel the warmth and fragrance of the wood once you are finished. You can leave the shop and go straight to touring temples and shrines!

1. 

   Select one pattern from about 10 Stamp books

   First, select one pattern from about 10 Stamp books. Patterns are inspired by Buddhism and legends like the Buddha, waves and rabbits, squirrels and so forth. The Stamp book using hinoki gives a soft gentle fragrance.

2. 

   Learn how to hold a chisel

   Before carving, you will be taught how to hold a chisel so it is safe for people who are new or have not done it in a while. In this experience, you will use a triangular chisel with a V-shaped blade.

3. 

   Paste the sheet

   Once you learned how to hold the chisel, you can start the process. First, paste the sheet with the drawing on the Stamp book. The Buddha pattern is used this time. This pattern is recommended for beginners for its loose lines.

4. 

   Digging the front cover of the Stamp book

   Carve starting from the head, then the clothing, then the hairline, and finally the neck. The trick is to turn the wooden piece as you keep moving the chisel forward. Once you get used to it, try adjusting your strength to change the thickness of the line!

5. 

   Digging details

   When the structure of the face and the line of the clothing are done, moving on to the nose, eyebrows, eyelids, lips, beards, eyes which are more difficult. Once the eyes and the Byakugō(dot between the brows) are carved, you are done with carving. If you concentrate, time will pass in a blink of an eye!

6. 

   Finish

   Your stamp book is complete after you peel off the seal and press the "Osho Incho" stamp! Go to a temple or shrine within walking distance to get a red seal as soon as possible. There are plenty of places to visit such as Rokuharamitsuji Temple, Kenninji, Chisenin, Sanjusangen-do, and Toyokuni Shrine.