Ono Sekizaiten's commitment to stone: Selection and processing of the stone used in Aizen-doI have been working with the temple since the time of the previous chief priest, and over the past half century I have seen the history of Hattasan Sonei-ji, focusing on stone work.Even so, I thought that this construction work would be something that would go down in history.

The temple was preparing to celebrate its 1300th anniversary, and as part of this, they were planning to build a new octagonal hall.Asuka Koumuten's proposal was that the hall should be reminiscent of Hōryū-ji's Yumedono. When I saw a photo of the hall in a book published in 1974 that the master carpenter had brought with him, I immediately had an image of the kind of stone that would be suitable for the building.・For the double base, I chose a rust-colored granite with a bush-hammered finish, which will develop a better taste as time passes.・For the path leading up from the mountain path, I chose white granite to emphasize the difference from the stone used for the hall.・For the interior of the hall, I chose a black granite with a polished finish that gives off a sense of solemnity, like the main hall of Tōei-ji.When I told the chief priest about the above three points, he simply said, “That's settled then.”

As we planned the stone work, we began to see the difficulties that come with building an octagonal hall.

In order to build a regular octagonal foundation, we needed to first calculate the measurements and angles on the design drawings, and then cut the stone to the correct size and shape.

On the construction side, if even the smallest of errors were to accumulate, the angles would become misaligned, making it difficult to move on to the next stage of the work. So when the construction work began, we had to work hard to maintain the accuracy of the measurements while checking the layout and the laying of the stones.

When the construction was approaching the halfway point, the chief priest mentioned the lanterns. I then had an image of an octagonal lantern made of rust-resistant granite that would stand out and catch people's attention, and I designed it based on my sensitivity gained from my experience with stonework, paying particular attention to the angles of the details, the thickness and length of the pillars, and the overall balance.

Until completion, various craftsmen demonstrated their skills in a wide range of work, and today, the Aizen-do and the grounds have been completed in a way that is befitting of this commemorative project.

I am very happy to have been involved in this historical project, and I hope for its future development.

Congratulations on the completion of the project.

Ono Sekizaiten Co, Ltd.

As we planned the stone work, we began to see the difficulties that come with building an octagonal hall.In order to build a regular octagonal foundation, we needed to first calculate the measurements and angles on the design drawings, and then cut the stone to the correct size and shape.On the construction side, if even the smallest of errors were to accumulate, the angles would become misaligned, making it difficult to move on to the next stage of the work. So when the construction work began, we had to work hard to maintain the accuracy of the measurements while checking the layout and the laying of the stones.