What is "butsudan"

n. A Buddhist shrine, comprising a wooden cabinet with doors that enclose and protect a religious icon.

A Butsudan sometimes spelled is a shrine commonly found in temples and homes in Japanese Buddhist cultures. A butsudan is either a defined, often ornate platform or simply a wooden cabinet sometimes crafted with doors that enclose and protect a Gohonzon or religious icon, typically a statue or painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, or a calligraphic mandala scroll.

If there are doors used, a Butsudan enshrines the Gohonzon icon during religious observances, and close after usage. In case of no doors, either a sheet of brocade or white cloth is sometimes placed over to render its sacred space. Traditional Japanese beliefs associate the Butsudan to be either a house of the Buddha, Bodhisattva as well as deceased relatives enshrined within it. In some Buddhist sects, when a Butsudan is replaced or repaired by the family, a re-enshrinement ceremony follows.

A butsudan usually contains an array of subsidiary religious accessories, called butsugu, such as candlesticks, incense burners, bells, and platforms for placing offerings such as fruit, tea or rice. Some Buddhist sects place ihai memorial tablets, ash of the deceased or Kakocho death registers for deceased relatives either within or near the butsudan. The defined space which occupies the Butsudan is referred to as Butsuma.