"Nosu Kosetsu ~His life and the Japanese mural painting depicting Buddha’s life in India~"

Author: Shigeki Mizobuchi / Yoshihiro Nakamura (co-authored)

Editing and composition: Yosuke Ikuta

Publisher: Ikuta Co., Ltd. (162 36, Shussakucho, Takamatsu City ☎087₋889 -0330)

Price: 3,800 yen + tax

 

Sarnath is the place where Buddha preached for the first time after his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India. As one of the four major Buddhist sacred sites, the mural painting of Mulagandha Kuty Vihara in Sarnath is a Japanese painting. It was about 80 years ago, from 1932 to 36, Nosu Kosetsu painted murals of "Buddha’s Life" on the main hall’s walls of Temple, with using the Japanese traditional painting technique.

 

A book introducing the life of the painter Nōsu Kosetsu and the Buddha’s mural painting was published to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the completion of the mural painting. It is said that the original coloring of the mural (draft) is still preserved at Daihonzan Eiheiji Temple (Soto Zen School) in Fukui Pref. in Japan, but the mural photograph in this book was taken by the editor and publisher, Yosuke Ikuta, at Sarnath. It is full of immersiveness suitable for historical writings that convey the great achievement of Nosu Kosetsu.

 

The mural was completed at the request of Dharmapala, the founder of Maha Bodhi Society of India, with the cooperation of Japanese people including the Government of Japan and the Japan-India Association.

 

The content of this book is that the story of Buddha’s Life drawn based on the original coloring of the mural painting, followed by the background of Kosetsu, the process leading up to the mural painting, and Kosetsu's story overcoming many difficulties. A life full of ups and downs of Kosetsu is introduced. In this book, you can also appreciate the Buddha’s mural paintings by Kosetsu as Japanese paintings.  At the time of making the mural paintings, Kosetsu himself reported to the "Japan-India Association" several times. You can learn about the historical background and local circumstances of achieving this feat. Kosetsu Nōsu was born in Kagawa prefecture, where the author, Shigeki Mizobuchi, and the editor and publisher, Yosuke Ikuta, are from the same city.

 

 

I feel the spirit of the two people who want to introduce the life and achievements of the great artist from their hometown to the world. They are also argueing that it is now necessary to take measures to preserve the mural paintings of Mulgandha Kuty Vihar (Temple) in order to pass on this precious cultural heritage to posterity for a long time.      (YM)             

【 Outline of the Society of honoring the master artist Kosestu Nosu 】 

 

Objective: Preservation Project for the “Mural of Buddha’s Life” in Sarnath, India

 

At a temple in the holy site of Sarnath, India, there is a grand four-meter high, 44-meter long wall painting of the life of the Buddha. The Japanese artist Nosu Kosetsu completed the mural 83 years ago as a private cultural exchange between Japan and India.

 

It is easy to understand the Buddha’s Life through the paintings which are in brilliant colors, as those expressions are based on the culture of fine arts of India. The mural has been moving the hearts of visitors and devotees not only from India but also from all over the world. Along with the Ajanta cave paintings, the mural of Sarnath is now well known as one of the cultural heritages throughout the world.

 

Kosetsu’s mural is at the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara Temple, founded by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1931. When the temple was built, he asked Japanese side through the Japan-India Association to send an artist for painting of the life of Buddha. In Japan, various scholars, government bodies, and private organizations endorsed the idea. After discussion among various groups, Mr. Nosu Kosetsu was selected, because he had the experience of making copies of the Ajanta cave paintings in his youth. The 47-year-old Kosetsu loved India dearly, and worked together with an assistant, diligently for five years to complete the difficult tasks with gratitude to India, the mother country of the Japanese traditional art.

   

However, as time passed, the mural has slowly deteriorated and peeled away. For many years,  Mulagandha Kuti Vihara had been studying the possibilities to preserve the mural by a Japanese artists, who understand the spirit of Kosetsu, in order to keep the original artistry as much as possible.

 

To meet this request, people concerned with the wall painting and Kosetsu himself, especially people in his hometown, started the preservation project. After three years of discussions among the Maha Bodhi Society of India (owner of the mural), professionals in conservation work of cultural heritage of Japan and other concerned parties, we were finally able to have a framework on mutual cooperation. To move it forward, we seek the realization of this project by asking for donations from people all over Japan.

 

This project is not only following the thoughts of Kosetsu, who prayed for world peace through the spirit of Buddhism, but is also the inheritance of the wise men who sent Kosetsu to India while setting their eyes on the future and the world in the beginning of the modern era in Japan.  Again, this project is not just a preservation work of a Japanese artist in India, nor is the preservation of the Japanese prominent fine art of Buddhism, or is the memory of modern history and cultural heritage of Japan.  As this piece of art continues to move the people from all over the world, this project will not remain as a domestic matter of Japan but will surely involve also people from other countries. We wish that as many people as possible will join and support this project to accomplish our mission.

 

Although the economic circumstances are severe, we appreciate the cooperation and support rendered to us through this project of the painting for the goodwill of Japan-India relations and international relations.

 

We hope that you will understand our mission, and we sincerely ask for your help and support.

 October, 2019

 

 

【Preservation Project Plan】

 

1. Objectives of Preservation Work

　①Name of Mural (Wall Painting):

Life of the Buddha, completed 1936 (Japanese-style painting, length: 44 m, height: 4.3 m)

②Artist：Nosu Kosetsu (1885-1973, given name Nobuta), born in Kagawa Prefecture,

graduated Kagawa Prefecture Craft School, graduated Tokyo School of Fine Arts, helped create reproductions of Ajanata cave paintings (1918), Member (In-yu) of Nihon Bijutsuin (Japan Art Institute)

③Location of the Temple : Mulagandhakuti Vihara (constructed 1931)

Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (Deer park; site of the Buddha’s first teaching)

③    Owner (Site Management): Maha Bodhi Society of India (founded 1891)

 

2. Preservation Project Outline    

    ~halting deterioration of the mural, digitalizing old photographs, and making a record of the restored mural~

 

①    Halting deterioration

     Designated preservation work (as requested by the temple)

・Project leader                       Saishiki Sekkei Corp. (Mr. Onomura Hayato, chairperson)

・Project schedule (tentative) (74 days total, divided into three phases over two years)

【First half】　     2019 November 25 – December 20 (26 days)         : East wall

【Second half】 (1^st) 2020      November 25 – December 20 (26 days)    :West wall

                            　　(2^nd )2021     January 25 – February 15 (22 days)           :South wall

②    Renewing record of photographs of mural

　　(Digitalization of analog color photographs of the murals taken about 50 years after drawing)

③    Digital photography record of the restored mural

④    Project Task Priority: project will be completed in order of ① → ② → ③

 

3.Technical Supervisor for Preservation Project

Prof. Emeritus Kijima Takayasu (former professor, Conservation Course Oil Painting Laboratory, Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School)

 

4. Website (URL) :   https://nosu.info/    

 

 【Request for Donation】

 

    Please share the wishes for support to the Conservation Project of Buddha’s Mural Painting drawn by Kousetu Nosu, Japanese artist, at Sarnath in India.

 

1.     Total Budget of Project : Yen 50,000,000 (US$ 420,000)

 

2.     Fundraising Goal: ¥45,000,000

 (Yen5,000,000 pledged by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai is subtracted from the total budget)

 

3. Project Organizer

Society of honoring the master artist Kosetsu Nosu

 ①Main Office:

    Mr. Ikuta Yosuke, President

162-36 Shussakucho, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan 761-8077

Tel 087-889-0330

Fax 087-888-0836

 

②Fundraising Office

 Mr. Shigeki Mizobuchi

4357-2, Tanaka, Mikicho, Kitagun, Kagawa, Japan 761-0611

Mobile 090-3186-2069

Tel/Fax 087-898-1890

E-mail          mizosk70@gmail.com

 

 4. Receiving Agency of Donations (Storage Foundation) :

Name: The Foundation for Cultural Heritage and Art Research of Japan

　　　　～ (ZAI) BUNKAZAIHOGO・GEIJUTSUKENKYUJOSEIZAIDAN ～

12-50 Uenokoen, Taitoku, Tokyo 110-0007

Tel 03-5685-2311

 

       Name of Account: (ZAI) BUNKAZAIHOGO・GEIJUTSUKENKYUJOSEIZAIDAN 

       Name of Bank: Mitsubishi UFJ Bank (MUFJ Bank)~Bank No. 005

       Branch: Ueno-chuo Branch~ No.065,

       Account: Saving Account No. 0796384

   

 

              You are kindly advised to indicate “Kosetsu Hekiga Indo Bokin” for the reference and contact the foundation office

            or project  organizer’s Fundraising Office before making a transfer for prior confirmation.

 

Donations are handled by the Foundation for Cultural Heritage and Art Research of Japan.

 

The foundation inherits the philosophy of the cultural heritage Red Cross Activity advocated by the late artist Ikuo Hirayama, and is also affiliated with Tokyo University of the Arts where Kosetsu had studied. This time, as a special cooperation, the Foundation selected this project as one of the "Priority Grant Projects" and accepted the fund-raising window for it. Therefore, if you donate, both individuals and corporations can receive preferential treatment under tax law of Japan.

 

 

【Request for Information Gathering】 

 

 As same as many artists’ histories, there are many unclear or unknown things in Kousetu’s life. In particular,

the information on visitors including school monks, pilgrimage monks, or tourists who met Kousetsu in Sarnath

between Showa 7-11(1932～1937), while Kousetu stayed in India, will be important to study the history of

Japan-India cultural exchanges as well as the research on Kousetsu Nosu himself.  

 

Kousetsu visited many places in Ceylon and India to hold private exhibitions to raise funds, where he met

lots of people not only from Japanese companies or consulates office there. We want to find names of people whom Kousetsu met, photos of his works or anything in the records or information of the memories brought back from there.

 

In addition, we would like to commend the great contribution of Mr. Shiko Kawai, the disciple of Kiriya Senrin

whom Mr. Kawai had served as an assistant before Kousetu Nosu. So, we are looking forward to news of his

personal history or life after returning to Japan. His support was indispensable for Kousetsu to complete the

mural.

 

【 Persons Related to the Society】

 

Proponents :

Ikuta Yosuke

President, Society of honoring the master artist Kosetsu Nosu

Minamisawa Donin

Advisor, Society of honoring the master artist Kosetsu Nosu,

Vice Chief Abbot, Eiheiji Temple

Maeda Sengaku

President, The Nakamura Hajime Eastern Institute

Tanaka Kyosho

Dean, Musashino University E.F.

Mizobuchi Shigeki

Former curator, Kagawa Prefectural Cultural Hall

Former part-time lecturer, Tokushima Bunri University

Nosu Yoshimitsu

Representative Director, NOSU Architects Planners Engineers

Ven. P. Seewalee Thero

General Secretary, Maha Bodhi Society of India

 

Society of honoring the master artist Kosetsu Nosu

President：Ikuta Yosuke

Advisor:　Minamisawa Donin

Members:

Akamatsu Yoshiko, Ayada Fukuo, Onomura Hayato, Kawai Tsutomu, Sunagawa Keiichi, Nakamura Yoshihiro,

Nosu Yoshimitsu, Nosu Yukou, Noda Daito, Hiramine Chiharu, Fujiwara Joho, Masayama Teikan, Mizobuchi Shigeki,

Mitsuya Masahiro, Miyagawa Yoichi, Miyahara Yutaka, Morikawa Teruo