Kazuya
The Story
Established in 1839, the Nanjo Workshop is one of the few workshops in Japan that specializes in the manufacture of orin, bells found on Buddhist altars and rung to accompany the reading of a sutra or to drive out the prayer’s evil thoughts. Made from sahari, an alloy of copper and tin used since ancient times, Nanjo’s orin are created in the pursuit of a good tone and seemingly endless reverberation.
Nanjo also produces gongs used in Kyoto’s famous Gion Festival, as well as narimono sacred Buddhist instruments, all based on traditional techniques and wisdom cultivated over the company’s 190-year history. The company continues to preserve the clear sound of its bells and gongs through the traditional techniques and painstaking work that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Originally a cook, Nanjo Kazuya was in his twenties he visited his girlfriend’s family, the craftsmen at Nanjo. When he first saw the orin casting process, he was amazed at its comforting timbre. Kazuya started studying under his girlfriend’s grandfather, Kanzaburo, who was the sixth generation head of Nanjo Workshop, eventually becoming the seventh generation head himself.
Kazuya created “LinNe” in 2018 as he perceived the need for new types of orin, as people’s lifestyles continued to modernize. He made these as small as much as possible but with the same beautiful quality of sound. Kazuya’s hope is that people can enjoy the timbre of sabari orin in their daily lives, rather than just in religious events. Handmade in Kyoto, LinNe’s sound is nostalgic, calming, refreshing, and penetrating, with individual tones.
The Craft
Nanjo’s production process has not changed much from the time when bronze bells were first made in the fifth century. For a time, there was a need to make inexpensive orin of lower quality, but Nanjo was not satisfied with the quality and temporarily stopped producing them, until Kazuya’s father-in-law resumed production. Their current workshop has been in existence for about 50 years and operates according to Sustainable Development Goals, with all their tools being handmade.
Clay molds are fired in a kiln to create the sabari, whose ratio of copper and tin was discovered by the sixth generation headmaster. This is poured into the cooled molds at just the right time as defined by carefully weighing numerous factors. From there, the ornament is repeatedly annealed, shaved, and polished, to produce a beautiful tone and shine.
Because each LinNe is individually handmade and manufactured, there are differences in color, shape, size, and tone. Sabari will age to a deeper color over time. Wiping off fingerprints with a towel from time to time will change the color to a more uniform candy color. The roughness of the surface is a characteristic of the traditional casting process.
Studio tours include a visit and include a talk by Kazuya, and a workshop where you can create your own healing music. Within a soundproof room, visitors can record the music they make by tapping the orin with their smartphones or other devices.
Selected works
