Enku's 120,000 Smiles over Gifu - Journeys in Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Roughly hewed, smiling statues of deities and Buddhas... A monk named Enku is believed to have sculpted some 120,000 in Gifu Prefecture, which are beloved to this day. We discover the stunning nature and culture of this area by following in the monk-sculptor's footsteps. We see where he practiced shugendo—rigorous mountain spiritual training; and where he stopped to create his charismatic statues. Actor Jonathan Senior travels to places associated with Enku to learn about his enduring legacy.

Enku visited Gero Onsen hot springs in Gero City for spiritual training and spreading Buddhism. He spent his later years at Mirokuji Temple in Seki City. Both places are now home to his museums, where his statues are displayed.

The district, located in Gujo City, is surrounded by forest and is thought to be the place where Enku carved his first statue. People can join workshops here for learning his techniques.

A New Year ritual to pray for peace and a rich harvest takes place at Nagataki-hakusan Shrine in Gujo City. It also expresses appreciation for practitioners of shugendo. The festival highlight is the grabbing and releasing of good luck flowers on the crowd.

To reach Seki, the gateway of the journey, first travel from Tokyo to Nagoya by Shinkansen, which takes one hour and forty minutes. Then change to a local train or bus, which takes around ninety minutes.

with a benevolent smile that penetrates straight to the soul...

These manga-esque figures embody Japanese gods and Buddhas.

a sculptor-monk who is believed to have carved an astounding 120,000 of them.

Here I am in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture.

You might already know Gifu for places like Shirakawa-go and Takayama.

a remarkable figure from the 17th century, and the deep-rooted spiritual traditions here.

This is Mirokuji Temple where Enku spent his later years.

You are greeted by statues carved by Enku's admirers.

Enku has a special place in Japanese culture even today.

Well, let's travel across Gifu Prefecture to discover why.

Enku has deep ties to three cities in Gifu, where he was born.

You have the Nagara River. It's quite beautiful at this time of day.

I have arrived at Enku Museum, where some of his statues are on display.

I wonder what else and what new things I can discover here.

Wow. I didn't realize he also carved adorable wooden statues as well.

This statue is the museum's most popular.

These two are displayed together. Is there a reason for this?

They were carved from the same tree.

That's fascinating. How do you know that?

The tree rings on the back match up. This shows they were made from a single block.

Amazing. So, the rings tell the story.

Enku worked quickly from inspiration using wood found at hand, often single blocks.

He celebrated the material's characteristics, its grains and knots.

Enku joined the Buddhist monkhood to pray for her soul.

It was later, after turning around 30, that his spiritual path deepened.

walking in eastern and northern regions to reach far away Hokkaido.

Around 5,400 of his statues remain mostly in temples and shrines along the way.

They seem different from the statues often seen in temples.

That's right. Take a look at this work.

The face is beautifully carved. The body is roughly sculpted.

- It's very artistic. - Yes, it is.

It's artistic, but it's basically a Buddhist statue. It's an object of worship for the people.

The beautiful face looks like it's smiling.

Enku is known for rendering gods and Buddhas with a simplicity that resonated with the people.

Gujo's Minami district, near Seki, is where Enku likely completed his first piece.

I've heard that Enku went through some intense training.

And, in this town, there's a fascinating place connected to it.

So, I've asked a local to show me around.

There's even a replica here of him.

Tanaka Seisyu, who was born and raised here, is an amateur Enku scholar.

I heard there's a place where Enku practiced.

There is more than one. I'll take you to the Enku-iwa.

- This is the place? - That's right.

I wonder what kind of stuff he practiced.

- It's big, isn't it? - Yes, much bigger than I expected.

Yes. Enku was a "shugenja," a monk who trains in the mountains.

a practitioner of a unique Japanese belief system, called "shugendo."

such as fasting, to acquire spiritual powers.

He slept in places like this, chanted sutras, purified himself in cold water...

- And carved statues. - So, he carved here, too.

Shugendo teachings are a mix of mountain worship, esoteric Buddhism, and Shintoism.

Through this, Enku became deeply knowledgeable about the deities and Buddhas.

And this enabled him to carve his pantheon of figures.

It's really interesting to learn that he created figures in a place like this.

It must have been difficult. Maybe he was inspired by his surroundings.

considered one of the country's top three hot springs.

There's a bit of a hot spring over here.

Gero oversees a village of "gassho" thatched homes.

Wow! Look at this place. The beautiful thatched-roof houses.

I've heard there are some Enku statues here.

Quite interested to see what ones they have.

You can see that there is something written on the backside of the statue.

See if I can ask someone about this.

- Excuse me. May I ask you a question? - Go ahead.

I've observed them closely, so I think I can answer you.

- You look very knowledgeable. - No, not at all.

Sugiyama Nobuhito, a Gero native, is a member of a study group on Enku's works.

This statue is called the Shomen-kongoshin.

The back is inscribed with Sanskrit letters for the statue's name and incantations.

So, by looking at the back, you can find out what deity it is.

Why did Enku make statues in this area?

This statue symbolizes well-being and wards off plagues.

It's thought that this area was struck by many disasters and famine in the past.

Enku created pieces to heal and uplift individual people, communities...

That meant each deity or Buddha he intuited might take on a completely different form.

For example, these two statues both represent Shomen-kongoshin.

Shomen-kongoshin usually has six arms and is trampling a devil.

But Enku carved it in a pure, child-like way.

I believe Enku's unique vision led to his Shomen-kongoshin with three faces.

- That's interesting. His style is really free. - I agree.

What do you find attractive about Enku's work?

It's his rich creativity and the smiles you can find on all the statues.

Not too far from where Enku used to train in the mountains.

I'm sure even he used to come down to places like this and relax in the hot springs.

Enku lore has been passed down in neighboring Gujo City as well.

he was received warmly and relaxed in a soothing bath.

Hoshinomiya Shrine is not far from the Enku-iwa.

The master carver left his creations here as well.

- What are you carving? - I'm carving the Amida Buddha.

My teacher made this, and I'm trying to copy it.

- You're good. - Oh no, not at all.

I'm trying to work in the mode of Enku.

So, I'm using discarded wood from a building material store.

I might become a little better with this one.

If you continue carving, you might get closer to Enku.

She looks lovely. The form looks good, too.

The smiles on Enku's statues always touched me.

I wanted to be able to carve smiles like his.

My mind becomes empty while sculpting and I get lost in the work.

Enku's presence is felt intimately in the Minami district.

During his time, many artisans called "kijishi" lived here.

crafted functional goods like tableware, using lathes.

was the son of a kijishi in Minami.

Tanaka seems to have inherited Enku's spirit.

After turning 40, he started carving statues of gods and Buddhas.

How many Enku statues have you carved so far?

Well, I've been making them for a long time, for more than 35 years.

What inspired Tanaka was an Enku statue that he encountered at a temple.

This is my reproduction of the Enku statue I saw then.

I was stunned when I encountered it.

It was so unlike any other Buddhist figures I had seen.

For Enku, expressing originality in his works may have been the most important.

No matter how hard you imitate Enku statues, you will never become Enku.

You should apply Enku's techniques and make your own original Buddhas.

That's what I want to tell everyone.

The Hoden Falls are just outside Minami.

to creating figures to uplift the people.

Some 25 kilometers north of Hoden Falls is Shirotori in Gujo.

This place is said to be very important for shugenja, practitioners of shugendo.

And Enku may actually have visited here once.

the mountain that delivered the divine message to Enku.

The master seems to have created sculptures here, as well.

You can see that there's something happening over here. I'm going to go have a look.

This New Year's ritual prays for peace and an abundant harvest.

It also expresses appreciation for the shugenja's rigorous training.

The festival highlight is the "hanabai."

A participant clambers up to grab the good-luck flowers and release them to the eager crowd.

They're all fighting for those flowers.

I'm sure even Enku would be amazed by this back in the day.

This is Mirokuji Temple, where we first started our journey.

I've come back to pay my respects at Enku's grave.

Oh, wow. Look at all the statues inside.

- Hello. - Welcome. Please come in.

- May I see the Enku statues? - Sure. This way.

- These are not his originals. - I see.

- There're so many. - Yes. There are about 200 in total.

Many people around the country are fond of Enku.

Since this temple is related to Enku, people dedicate the statues.

Why do you think Enku carved deities and Buddhas?

It was to save ordinary people. He didn't make them for those in power.

He sympathized with the common people and prayed for their happiness when carving the statues.

- So, he carved them from the heart. - That's right.

He followed his heart and created the figures, devoting himself to saving the people.

- That's beautiful. - I think so too.

Most of the statues carved by Enku have these gentle smiles.

I was also struck by the freedom of his work.

that those same smiles reflected the faces of the people he met along his journey.

particularly those in vulnerable positions.

And I think it really shows through his statues.

There's a kindness and strength in his work that's truly timeless.

And I think that's why people have loved these statues for so long.

I'm sure there are many more Enku statues across Japan being cared for.

And, who knows, maybe I'll come across them again one day.

which takes one hour and forty minutes.

to arrive at the gateway of your journey.