Kyoto National Museum

This unprecedented retrospective on master Kano painters Sanraku (1559-1635) and his successor Sansetsu (1590-1651) will be the first major exhibition on early modern Japanese painting at the Kyoto National Museum since the Kano Eitoku and Hasegawa Tohaku exhibitions (in 2007 and 2010 respectively). The Kano painters Sanraku and Sansetsu were active in Kyoto from the Momoyama (1583-1600) to early Edo (1600-1868) periods. Sanraku inherited the resplendent forms of Eitoku (1543-1590), and Sansetsu devised astonishingly unique ink paintings and decorative kinpekiga (paintings using bright mineral pigments, gold foil, and raised shell-white surfaces). Numerous masterful works--including rich, magnificent screen and wall paintings, representative examples, pieces in overseas collections that will be returning to Japan for the first time, newly discovered paintings, as well as those exhibited for the first time in public--will be presented in this dazzling retrospective, which is sure to captivate museum visitors.

In Jowa 1 (834), the Shingon master Kukai (774-835) began the Rites and Austerities of the Latter Seven Days, (Goshichinichi no mishiho), in the Imperial court. This ritual to pray for national protection at the beginning of the year continues to be practiced at the Shingon temple To-ji in Kyoto to this day. The Kyoto National Museum has a complete set of twelve deva paintings. This exhibition features this set in its entirety along with related paintings such as the National Treasure-designated screens Landscape (KNM).

Surprising as it may be, the successive generation of Japanese emperors have left us with many works written in their own hand. Especially noteworthy are shinkan, or calligraphic works by emperors. The range of these writings is rich in variety and extends from private matters to wishes for national peace. All these works reflect the elegance and style of a sovereign and are indeed the "calligraphy of monarchs."Ultimate Beauty brings together nearly 140 magnificent works by emperors from the Nara (710-794) to the Showa (1926-1989) periods.

This year marks the 1300th anniversary since the compilation of Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and next year, 2013, is the grand installation ceremony of Izumo Taisha, which takes place for the first time in almost sixty years. In commemoration of this, the Kyoto National Museum will hold an unprecedented exhibition introducing treasures from the ancient Izumo shrines and closely affiliated temples as well as artifacts excavated from historic sites in Izumo in a single venue. This exhibition includes new discoveries made during preparatory surveys. Presented will also be an overview of Izumo legends, the beginning of Izumo Shrine, and the forms of prayers offered to the gods and buddhas by the ancient and medieval people of Izumo.

This special exhibition highlights masterworks from the Yomei Bunko Collection, which comprises of early books and documents from the Konoe clan, one of the five Fujiwara regent families. Featured in this unprecedented exhibition will be eight National Treasures and sixty Important Cultural Properties, including historic works such as the National Treasure-designated Mido kanpaku ki (Records by the Regent of Great Hall [Hojo-ji Temple]) handwritten by Regent Fujiwara Michinaga (966-1027) and the Important Cultural Property-designated Letter by Fujiwara Tadamichi, as well as outstanding calligraphic works such as the National Treasures Wakansho (also known as the Konoe edition of Wakan roeishu (Collection of Japanese and Chinese Poems)) and Otekagami (Large Album of Exemplary Calligraphy).

This exhibition showcases works by the modern Chinese painters Wu Changshi (1844-1927), Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Gao Jianfu (1879-1951), and Xu Beihong (1895-1953), as part of the Suma Collection, which was donated to the Kyoto National Museum in recent years. The exhibition also explores the diverse developments made in Chinese paintings from this period. The impact of modern material civilization from the West shook traditional China and incited revolution. Chen Shizeng (1876-1923), Gao Jianfu, Xu Beihong, and others who became innovative leaders of the modern Chinese painting circles were deeply connected to Japan, and the role that Japan played in modernizing Chinese painting was not insignificant. This exhibition also presents a glimpse into the cultural exchanges that went on between China and Japan in the modern era.

The Eisei Bunko Museum, located in Mejiro, Tokyo, was founded to preserve and pass down the collection of the Hosokawa family, the former daimyo of Kumamoto Prefecture. The collection consists of over 80,000 objects that include works associated with successive family heads as well as art acquired in modern times. This exhibition presents selected works that embody the history of this prestigious family that was known for its accomplishments in both the literary and military arts.

Creatures’ Paradise is the first special feature to showcase animals in works of art from the Jomon period to today in the museum’s collection. Visit magnificent mammals such as elephants and camels, pets such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, as well as colorful birds, humorous amphibians, insects and fishes, and powerful sacred animals. Transcending differences in production date, expression, and media, this exhibition features lively images of animals that have been long cherished in Japan.

Honen Shonin (1133-1212), the founder of the Pure Land Sect, Jodo Shu, taught the nenbutsu, or chanting the Name of Amitabha Buddha, Namu Amida Butsu, for the salvation of all people in the late Heian period (794-1185). This exhibition commemorates 800 years since the passing of this Buddhist master by presenting his life and teachings through various cultural objects. Highlighted will be the National Treasure biography on Honen, Honen Shonin den (Life of Honen, also known as the Biography in Forty-eight Scrolls). Works related to Master Honen's followers and contemporaries will also be exhibited.

This year marks fifty years since the donation of the Ueno Collection - the nucleus of the museum's Chinese paintings and calligraphies. Included in this generous gift is the celebrated album of rubbings from the Song steles engraved with the calligraphy by Wang Xizhi, which is the most famous example of Wang Xizhi's Seventeen Books of Exemplary Calligraphy. To commemorate this major milestone, this masterpiece along with other related works will be exhibited. We hope visitors to the museum will take this opportunity enjoy the subtle beauty of Chinese paintings and calligraphies.

The kesa (Skt., kasaya), or priest's stole, appears prominently among the garments worn by Buddhist priests. Temples in Japan treasure the kesa reputedly worn by eminent Heian-period (794-1185) priests, such as the founder of the Shingon sect Kukai (774-783) and the founder of the Tendai sect Saicho (767-822), and renowned Zen masters, such as Wuzhun Shifan (J., Bujun Shbhan, 1178-1249) and Muso Soseki (1275-1351). This exhibition -the first of its kind- brings together these and other works to trace Buddhism in Japan and the history of textiles as seen through the kesa.

Renowned for his novel Ugetsu monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and Rain), Ueda Akinari (1734-1809) was a Japanese novelist, poet, and scholar active in the Kamigata region (cities of Kyoto and Osaka). This exhibition brings together Akinari's classical and colloquial literary works as well as the paintings and calligraphies by the many literary figures and painters with whom he associated. This exhibition introduces rich and diverse literary and art world of the latter eighteenth century as seen through the eyes of this unique figure.

The master painter of the Momoyama period, Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610), was a contemporary of Kano Eitoku, whose works were featured in a major exhibition at the Kyoto National Museum in 2007. This exhibition on Hasegawa Tohaku commemorates the 400th memorial year of his passing and will present many of his masterpieces, including the most popular National Treasure Pine Grove (Tokyo National Museum). We hope you will look forward to what will be the biggest Tohaku exhibition thus far.

This major exhibition traces the splendor of the Habsburg family, which ruled Europe for over six hundred years and whose members were known for their love of the arts. Over one hundred selected works of painting, decorative art, and armor from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest will be exhibited. Noteworthy among these objects will be an Edo-period album consisting of a hundred paintings and a lacquered bookshelf with makie (sprinkled metal design) presented by the Meiji Emperor to King Francis Joseph, which will be returning to and shown in Japan for the first time.

Lamenting the frequent disasters and a nation at peril, Nichiren, at the age of thirty-nine, authored Rissho Ankoku-ron (the Treatise for Spreading Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Teaching) and presented it to the former regent of the Kamakura government, Hojo Tokiyori (1227-1263, r. 1246-1256). This year marks the 750th anniversary of this event. To commemorate Nichiren's treatise, the Kyoto National Museum will exhibit works from the sixteen head temples of the Nichiren sect in Kyoto.

The Institute of Oriental Manuscripts at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg owns approximately 20,000 rare manuscripts and fragmentary segments discovered in Dunhuang and Central Asia by the Russian expedition. These books and records, which were written along the faraway Silk Road over a period covering approximately the fourth to twelfth century, include primarily Buddhist scriptures as well as works in classical Chinese, Tangut, Khotanese, Tokhari, and Sogdian. About 150 exemplary manuscripts selected from the large body of works will be exhibited, many of which will be shown in Japan for the first time.

This year marks the 650th memorial of the Zen priest Muso (Kanzan Egen, 1277-1360), the founder of the historic Rinzai Zen monastery Myoshin-ji in Kyoto. This major exhibition of works from the subtemples within the grounds of Myoshinji traces its history from its founding up to the present as well as the Zen culture that flourished there.

This exhibition of artworks from Kyoto's Imperial Palace commemorates the twentieth anniversary of His Majesty the Emperor's enthronement.

Japan continued to export its lacquerware using the decorative technique of makie ("sprinkled metal design") well into its period of national isolation. As luxury items from the Far East, these objects were highly valued and used to decorate castles throughout Europe. This exhibition traces the history of Japanese makie lacquerware that went outside Japan through masterful works that have been passed down in Europeans collections, starting with that of Marie Antoinette.

The eccentric painter Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889) was active from the late Edo to early Meiji period. Trained in ukiyo-e and the orthodox Kano school of painting, Kyosai demonstrated skill in traditional techniques while creating fantastical images. This retrospective presents 135 major works of this artist. "His works are so bizarre, they'll make you want to cry!"

European ceramics have gained much attention in Japan in recent years, though the Japanese encounter of these works date back to the early Edo period (1615 - 1868). This exhibition unravels the tale of this 400-year-old relationship by introducing many amazing ceramic works from various regions throughout Europe.

Patronized by the warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the celebrated painter Kano Eitoku (1543-1590) developed an ostentatious style. This major exhibition presents the oeuvre of his works.

Fujiwara no Michinaga (966-1027), the most powerful regent of the Heian period (794-1185), lived and ruled in a historically and culturally groundbreaking era. This was also a time of spiritual unrest when many looked to Buddhism for salvation. This exhibition commemorates Michinaga's pilgrimage to the sacred mountain Kinpusen and explores the age in which he lived through over 120 works, including Heian court diaries, Buddhist paintings and sculpture.

When the buildings of the Kyoto Imperial Palace were constructed in 1855, the most eminent Japanese painters of the time were called upon to paint its interior panel paintings. This exhibition features these masterful works from the Otsune Goten and Ogakumonsho Halls of the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

This special exhibition examines Kyoyaki (Kyoto ware), which represents one of Kyoto's traditional industries, from its inception to recent years, based on recent research. Explore the allure of Kyoto ceramics through representative works by illustrious potters such as Nonomura Ninsei (c. mid-17th century).

The Kyoto National Museum, which opened in 1897, welcomes its 110th anniversary in 2006. This exhibition traces the history of this museum, which has amassed, researched, and exhibited various objects connected to the ancient capital Kyoto. Highlights include Wind God and Thunder God (National Treasure, Kennin-ji Temple).

A major exhibition of celebrated emaki (illustrated handsrolls) from the Heian to Edo periods. See National Treasure handscrolls, including The Tale of Genji and Scroll of Frolicking Animals, and enjoy dynamic tales as the year unrolled.

To celebrate the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the Buddhist Tendai sect, various cultural artifacts from Enryaku-ji and other Tendai temples will be on special display. Explore the wondrous worlds of the founder Saicho and other Tendai masters, Lotus Sutra and Pure Land faith, esoteric images and rituals, and the cult of the Hie Sanno deity through Tendai art.

This year marks 170 years since the birth of the bakumatsu loyalist Sakamoto Ryoma (1835-67). This special exhibition-featuring Ryoma's letters, which are filled with humor and an uninhibited free style-sheds light on the civil strife and Kyoto culture at the end of the Tokugawa era (1615-1868), the age in which Ryoma emerged.

The Shohaku Show is a major retrospective of the eccentric 18th-century Kyoto painter Soga Shohaku (1730-81). See his masterpieces, which reflect the rebellious spirit that ridiculed the fallacies of contemporary academism prevalent in Edo-period paintings.

This year marks the fiftieth year since Yoshitaka Moriya donated his father Kozo Moriya's (1876-1953) outstanding collection of early sutras to the Kyoto National Museum. Known as the Moriya Collection, this set of sutras comprises of more than 268 manuscripts, including one sutra designated a National Treasure, thirty-five Important Cultural Properties, and thirty-seven Important Art Objects. In celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of this notable acquisition, the Kyoto National Museum proudly presents a special exhibition featuring exemplary koshakyo from the Moriya and other collections.

This exhibition has been divided into five themes to introduce the fascinating world of Shinto art and how it reflected the early faith, belief, and fear of those living in the capital. This is a rare opportunity to explore the beauty and mystique of these divine treasures.

Nanzen-ji, the historical head Rinzai Zen temple of the Nanzenji branch, was designated above the Gozan temples (the five major Rinzai Zen monasteries) by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. This exhibition features treasures from this highest-ranking Zen temple, such as the prayer written by Emperor Kameyama (designated a National Treasure) and screen paintings from the Central Hall originally from an imperial palace (National Treasure).

Please give the world of the Star Wars art which exists in large numbers still more skilled in recent years.

This exhibition focuses on metal works through the world of decorative arts. Exemplary metal works and related objects from applied art, painting, scupture, and calligraphy, from primitive and ancient to early modern and modern times, are shown to examine the aesthetic concept, kazari.

Star Wars has come to Kyoto! See the art of Star Wars through actual models, costumes, and background scenery used for the movie.

To commemorate Kukai's historic voyage to China and encounter with esoteric Buddhism 1,200 years ago, this special exhibition presents, on an unprecedented scale, over 160 masterworks of Buddhist art from the collection of the esoteric Shingon Buddhist headquarter, Mount Koya.

Retrospective of Rembrandt`s works.
Includes approximately so works from famous Western collections.
Cosponsored by the Asahi Shimbun Newspapers and Stichting / Foundation Siebold.

This exhibition looks at the 1200-year history of Japanese tea culture, with a focus on the tea implements, paintings, calligraphy, and other objects used in each period.
Cosponsored by the Yomiuri Shimbun Newspapers.

Tawaraya Sotatsu's Wind God and Thunder God (National Treasure), Kaiho Yusho's wall paintings, and other treasures from Kyoto's oldest Zen temple are featured in this eighth hundred year commemorative exhibition in honor of Kennin-ji's founder, Eisai.

Ink paintings reflecting the life of the Muromachi-period master artist
Co-organizer: Mainichi Shimbun

Ukiyo-e woodblock prints and other works of Japanese art from the National Gallery in Prague and other Czech museums

Masterpieces of Japanese and Chinese art relating to people, including both images of figures and abstract symbols of human presence.