Hattasan is a famous place in the prefecture, and even I have been coming to this temple for New Year's visits since I was little.I never thought I would be involved in such a prestigious project at Hattasan.The master carpenter of Asuka Koumuten is an old friend of mine, and when I was asked to take part in this project, I knew I had to do a job that would not be a disgrace to the 1300-year history of Hattasan or to the buildings built by Asuka Koumuten.

The top coat is a traditional plaster made with takiko (glue made by boiling starch), the middle coat is a sand plaster made in-house, and the base coat is a kizuri plaster, which is made by attaching thin boards to the entire plastered wall and applying the plaster directly to the boards. In the future, when Aizen-do becomes a new tourist attraction in Hattasan and many people visit the place, I hope to hear words like “Amazing!”, “Cool!” and “Beautiful!

I am very happy and proud to have been involved in the construction of the new Hattasan Aizen-do.

Naruyuki Sakan