A household Buddhist altar, typically a wooden cabinet with doors, used in Japanese homes to enshrine family Buddhist statues and scrolls.
From Japanese 仏壇, a compound of butsu (Buddha) and dan (altar or platform). The term entered English in the 20th century as Japanese culture became more widely studied.
A butsudan is incredibly significant in Japanese homes—families maintain their ancestral butsudan across generations, placing offerings of rice and flowers there daily, making it a living connection to deceased family members and Buddhist practice.
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