Mandala Museum (Buddhist Art by Adachihara Gen)

Located in the beautiful city of Hokuto, Yamanashi, there is an art museum dedicated to the work of Adachihara Gen. Adachihara’s work primarily consists of traditional Buddhist paintings, and grand-scale replicas of sacred mandalas. It’s known as the Mandala Museum, or the “Adachihara Gen Butsuga Museum.”

Founded in 1995, the collection includes several works of Buddhist symbolism, including sculptures and mandalas (some of which exceed 5 meters). The astounding replicas of important works impress even experts in the field of Buddhist art, and are praised for their richness and meticulous attention to detail.

Chiyuki Adachihara is the current curator of the museum, and she is also Gen Adachihara's daughter-in-law. She kindly explained to our team the meaning behind several Buddhist traditions, as well as the techniques used to produce the works. According to Chiyuki, one of the larger mandala replicas took 10 years to paint.

Due to the religious nature of Buddhism, many of the original versions of his works are safeguarded in museums or private collections, and cannot be photographed or reprinted in books. In order to produce a replica, an artist must visit the original work multiple times and make what is called an “observation drawing.” It may take several visits and extensive research, due to the various details involved in the stories and images depicted. Based on their observation drawings, an artist will often reproduce the art using small canvases, section by section, and combine them to form the whole mandala. 

The Mandala Museum also offers a painting workshop for visitors, where you can try out the traditional Buddhist painting techniques! Materials are provided, and visitors can choose which they would like to replicate. 

We decided to try our hand at the painting workshop. Chiyuki taught us how to hold our brushes the proper way, as well as how to mix and blend the colors. Before applying the paint, you have to first trace a carbon copy of the artwork you wish to replicate. This makes it easy for beginners. You can be as creative and playful as you like with the colors—try adding some shimmery gold highlights, just like you see in the real Buddhist works!

Most visitors spend about 1.5 hours painting at the workshop. Once you get the hang of how to apply the colors, it becomes too fun to stop. Take it nice and slow, and enjoy creating this art work that commemorates your visit to the museum!

More Info

Mandala Museum website:
https://mandala-museum.com

Address: 2385-5 Murayama Higashiwari, Takane-cho, Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi
(By train, 15 minutes by car from Nagasaka Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. By car, it takes 8km from Sutama IC on the Chuo Expressway, about 10 minutes.)