The Orin is rung when we join our hands or chant a sutra to pray or make offerings to the Buddha, our ancestors, or the deceased. Its long, growing sound has a different resonance to the sounds we hear in everyday life, as if it calms the heart, purifies the place, and connects us with invisible beings. Founded 190 years ago, Nanjokobo, with its workshop in Uji, Kyoto, produces Orin made of Sahari (an alloy of copper and tin) using a traditional casting method that begins with the use of firewood for making the mould. The workshop also makes sounding instruments for rituals of Shinto and Buddhism, and the musical gongs used at the Gion Festival. The gong of the Ofune-hoko float used at the Gion Festival bears the name of the founder: Kanzaburo Nanjo. In recent years, the gongs that Nanjokobo produced have also been installed in floats of Naginata-hoko, Kanko-hoko, Kitakannon-yama and Minamikannon-yama. The lively musical accompaniment of Konchikichin will add colour to the summer in Kyoto. (The Yama-hoko demonstration of floats has been cancelled for 2021 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection.)

When Kazuya Nanjo, the 7th generation of the family, first visited the Nanjokobo, his wife’s family home, he was struck by the sounds of their Orin. Kazuya says: “It was completely different from the sound of Orin that I had heard before. No matter how many times you ring it, it always comes together beautifully and stretches out forever, which is the characteristic of our Orin. The combination of copper and tin of Sahari and the firing of the moulds with firewood also affect the sound, so the process has not changed one bit since the establishment of the business. Casting happens in flames of over 1000°C, so it is not an area that can be changed by human hands, and we cannot do anything that might affect the sound of Orin”. Most of the work involves time and effort: kneading the moulds one by one with earth and clay, drying and firing them, heating and cooling the metal, and carefully checking the tone and carving them. “I think this is the quickest way to get a good sound,” says Kazuya. The rice husks that are essential for making the moulds are given by a local farmer before they are discarded, the moulds are returned to the soil, the scraps and defective pieces of Sahari are melted down and reused, and the water used is stored rainwater. There is no excess or deficiency in the cycle of nature’s bounty. Everything in the workshop seems to be quietly preparing itself for the creation of sound, from the well-used worktables and tools to the ashes accumulated over the years.

In 2019, Kazuya launched the brand LinNe to make the sound of their Orin more accessible. “We worked with artisans in their 80s to make a sound that only we could make, even if it was small. After making a number of prototypes, we were finally satisfied with the sound and started to think about branding. I consulted with my neighbour Showen Kumihimo (https://showenkumihimo.com/) about the strings, and that is how it came to the form we have today.” By creating a product that can be promoted in different places other than Buddhist altar shops, such as lifestyle shops, the number of people who are interested in Orin and visit their workshop has increased. The work has expanded beyond expectations, including collaborations with people from different fields. This experience made Kazuya rediscover that his profession is to creates sounds which travel. “There are those who ring it before work to set their minds at ease, and those who place it in front of the Buddha altar to greet it in the morning and evening or to communicate with the deceased. I am happy and grateful that everyone has their own way of using it. Nowadays, the forms of prayer are diversified. I would like to continue to create chances for people to come into close contact with the sound of Orin.”

– photo explanation –

［Ⅰ］The Sahari Orin is not only good for its sound, but also for the fact that the combination of copper and tin makes it possible to produce a golden colour without using real gold.
［Ⅱ］Making moulds that never end. On the handmade workbench that has been used for 50 years.
［Ⅲ］On the three casting days a month, the crucible is placed in a kiln at over 1500°C to melt the Sahari, which is then transferred to this vessel and poured into the mould. This is the most stressful part of the day, with all 5 craftspersons working on site, where the temperature reaches nearly 60°C in the summer.［Ⅳ］Rice husks, rainwater and soil are all natural materials and can be reused efficiently as nothing is mixed into them.
［Ⅴ］The more we carve, the lower the sound becomes. Tuning is conducted carefully for these delicate sound changes. Each note is checked as it is carved.

Photography by Tomoko Hayashi
Text by Tomomi Takezoe
Translation :Naoko Mabon (WAGON)