During the late Edo period, Mokujiki Meiman Shonin (better known as Mokujiki Shonin) travelled around Japan, carving over 1,000 Buddhist statues. He was born in the third year of the Kyoho era (1718) to a farmer in Koseki Village, located in Yatsuhiro County, Kai Province (now known as Minobu Town in Yamanashi Prefecture). Though he left for Edo at the age of 14 to fulfill an apprenticeship, the inequalities of feudal society caused him to enter the priesthood at the age of 22. At age 45 he took up Mokujiki (training in which a monk strictly adheres to eating only nuts), and at 46 he embarked on a personal pilgrimage across Japan, carving many Buddhist statues and leaving them along the way for future generations. A smile can be seen on the statues carved after he turned 80, reflecting both the fierce determination he held towards creating, as well as the thoughts and feelings of his religious practices. He had refined his style by the time he turned 90, and in his final years he created many masterpieces, referred to by religious scholar Kojima Michio as "Smiling Buddhas."
These Mokujiki Buddhas, crafted for the well-being of the people, are statues of peace and healing that closely accompanies the lives of everyone. Put it anywhere you like, such as the living room, the study, or your bedroom, and enjoy the warm and rustic sculpted beauty.