Nepali sculptors create rocky cliff masterpieces in Kumamoto, Japan

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, Aug. 3: In the Khami Amakusa region of Kumamoto District in Japan, a group of Nepali sculptors is carving a 65-foot-tall statue of Gautama Buddha, along with several other sculptures, into a massive rocky cliff at a site called Oshima Sekibuchuyama.

The project, which began in September 2016, involves only Nepali artists. The team is led by sculptor Manjul Miteri from Miklajung in Morang, and includes fellow Nepali sculptors Jeevan Paudel, Chatur Lal Rajbanshi, Ganesh Rai, Ram Kumar Rai, and Subash Bishwakarma. 

They work six days a week, eight hours a day, chiseling and hammering away at the rock to sculpt not only Buddha but also other world-renowned figures.

Working on foreign soil under the open sky is extremely challenging. Exposed to sun, rain, windstorms, and various hardships, the Nepali artists say going to Japan wasn’t a dream but a compulsion. Team leader Manjul said, “There are no job opportunities back home. The field of sculpture is not respected in Nepal, and one cannot find employment based on the degree they've earned.”

This is the first Nepali team to work continuously for such a long period in Japan purely as artists. Despite being foreigners, the Japanese government has accorded them great respect. “We have had the opportunity to highlight the glory of Nepali fine arts in Japan and establish the historical fact that Buddha was born in Nepal,” says Manjul.

Although their wages are modest, the artists are glad their skills haven’t gone rusty. “In our own country, it wouldn’t have been possible to get nine years of continuous work like this,” Manjul says. “This job has not only honoured our skills but introduced Nepali sculptors to the world. When tourists from around the globe admire the rock sculptures carved by Nepali hands, we feel proud. It lifts our spirits.”

This initiative, which spreads Buddha’s message of peace and promotes Nepali art at the international level, is also expected to further strengthen cultural ties between Nepal and Japan.

In addition to the Buddha statue, Miteri has already completed two 40-foot and four 20-foot rock sculptures. A grand inauguration of the site is planned for 2026. The Japanese government is working towards having the site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Despite having received several accolades, including the National Youth Talent Award with a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 a decade ago and a Provincial Talent Award in 2023, Miteri feels disheartened by the lack of recognition for his art in Nepal. He holds a Master’s degree in Culture. 

“I learnt the skill to bring life into stone. I studied culture up to the postgraduate level. But in Nepal, there is neither respect for art nor employment matching one’s education,” he said. 

In Japan, he works eight hours a day hammering stone and earns around Rs. 15,000. “The work itself isn’t difficult, but it hurts the heart to sell one’s creations in a foreign land. It’s painful,” he says. “But to survive, one has no choice but to sell their skills.”